The Gilroy Garlic Festival was a food festival in the United States, held annually from 1979[1] to 2019 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, California, on the last full weekend in July.[2] After its cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a drive-through festival was held on July 23–25 and 30–31 July and August 1, 2021.[3] In April 2022, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced the indefinite suspension of the traditional large-format festival, stating that it would instead host smaller individual events.[4][5] In May 2022, the festival was canceled permanently.[2]
An annual three-day event,[6] the Gilroy Garlic Festival was one of the country's best-known food festivals, drawing visitors from across the nation.[7] Located about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of San Jose, Gilroy is home to about 60,000 people, and the city is a major producer of garlic.[6] The festival was Gilroy's top fundraiser, staffed with volunteers to raise money for nonprofit groups including clubs and schools.[7]
History
The inaugural Garlic Festival was held in 1979. Rudolph J. Malone, then President of Gavilan College in Gilroy, was inspired by a small town in France which hosted an annual garlic festival and claimed to be the "Garlic Capital of the World." Malone started the festival, which attracted more than hundreds of thousands of paying visitors a year.[1]
On July 28, 2019, a mass shooting occurred at the 41st edition of the festival.[7] Three people were killed, in addition to the gunman, and 12 others were injured.[8][9]
COVID-19 pandemic and cancellation
The festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 2021 saw a drive-thru festival.[4] In April 2022, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced that the event would be canceled thereafter due to prolonged losses, "lingering uncertainties from the pandemic," and "prohibitive insurance requirements by the City of Gilroy" since the 2019 shooting.[4][10][2]
California Garlic Festival
The California Garlic Festival has been held annually since 2022 in response to the cancellation of the Gilroy Garlic Festival. The California Garlic Festival is sometimes considered a successor of the Gilroy Garlic Festival,[11] although they are held by two unrelated organizers.[12]
In popular culture
The Garlic Festival was featured by Huell Howser in Road Trip Episode 124.[13]
Gallery
Garlic food varieties, 2006
Garlic food choices, 2006
Garlic themed t-shirts, 2006
Visitors tasting free samples of garlic ice cream, 2007
