Gilroy Garlic Festival
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Unusual garlic food varieties.
The Gilroy Garlic Festival is one of the largest food festivals in the United States, held annually in Gilroy, California on the last full weekend in July at Christmas Hill Park. The Gilroy Garlic Festival is considered by some to be the best garlic festival in the world.[citation needed]
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[edit] Past festivals
More garlic food choices.
The 28th festival ran from July 28 to July 30, 2006. In 2005 129,644 people attended, sampling such diverse creations as garlic ice cream and garlic french fries. Attendees also enjoy three stages full of musical entertainment, a Great Garlic Cook-off, celebrity cooking demonstrations, a children's area, arts and crafts, and many interactive displays. A Queen of Garlic is also crowned yearly, chosen by a panel of six judges based on her personal interview, talent, garlic speech and evening gown. Her court is also chosen, for the purpose of representing Gilroy at various festivities and "having a garlicy good time with fellow lovers of the pungent bulb". The 2006 Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen is Sheena Torres, who performed a garlic speech at the festival which imitated television personality Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals." Over 4000 volunteers from 166 non-profit groups make the festival possible, and over three million people have reportedly come to the festival since it began.
[edit] History and purpose
The festival was founded in 1979 by Dr. Rudy Melone, Don Christopher, and Val Filice, and has been a fundraiser for local charities, raising a total of about seven and a half million dollars for assorted causes. Individual groups and charities also run booths at the festival, raising additional funds for their causes. The Gilroy Garlic Festival Association is a non-profit organization intended to support non-profit groups and projects in Gilroy.
Garlic themed t-shirts.
[edit] Sources
- Gilroy Garlic Festival as retrieved January 19, 2007.
- The Gilroy Garlic Festival, 2005.
- Garlic festival tidbits, 2006.
- The Origin of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, 2007.
[edit] External links
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