Gilroy Garlic Festival Association

Loved the garlic festival but limiting number of attendees is BS…

We went the first time we walked in then 4 yrs later we were bused in what a change!

Been to the Gilroy Garlic Festival multiple times pre-covid, and though it's HOT out there, it's still a really fun (and delicious) atmosphere for people who love outdoor entertainment like such. They've had famous chef battles, popular musicians/bands perform, as well as other activities and uncommon food like frog legs or garlic ice cream. In 2021 (post covid), they're doing a couple different (pricier) events, but you can still pick up the classic garlic treats through their Gourmet Alley Drive-Thru at the Gilroy Presbyterian Church. Note that ordering in advance is important since they sell out. It wasn't busy when I arrived, no line of cars on a Sunday early afternoon, though I did have to drive through a long trail of cones and makeshift lanes to get to the actual pick up spot, and a short line of cars did form after me. I like that they have so many workers/volunteers helping out, trying to keep everything organized, and very friendly. My order took a long time once I got to the pick up spot at the end, which was strange since I just ordered garlic fries, garlic bread, and shrimp scampi, and arrived more than 30 minutes after my scheduled pick up time. I was disappointed with the wait time, but the food was so good (as usual)... especially the garlic bread and shrimp scampi... so they definitely did not skimp on quality. I look forward to the festival returning in future years.

The good: This is a long overdue review. I went to the festival years ago and had a blast. They had live cooking demonstrations, guest appearances, food stands, live music, people dressed up in weird outfits (medieval, Ronald Mcdonald for some reason) and photo opportunities. I enjoyed trying novelty food items like garlic ice cream. It was surprisingly tasty and not too garlicky. The cone is tiny and the portion is tiny as well. Garlic fries are a must. They definitely are overloaded with garlicky-goodness. The bad: It's usually really hot during the summertime when the festival takes place. The interesting: There are lots of other vendors here that sell things like art, decor, and clothes.

Date: 7/26/2019 Time: 10:30 AM 72° Mostly sunny I have never been to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. It's my first time and I am with my husband, two of my sisters and a group of people from the Downtown Oakland Senior Center (DSOC). The first stop is the information booth to pick up a map. The map is somewhat helpful. Garlic fries, garlic French bread, garlic ice cream and even garlic kettle corn - all so yummy and addicting. The bad part is I cannot consume a lot of carbs due to health reason. My sisters and I order the combo plate of sauteed calamari, pesto pasta, garlic French bread and pepper steak sandwich. Cost: $15. Value and meal portions are reasonably priced. I enjoyed most of my combo plate. The pesto pasta is okay. I had better elsewhere. I'm not much of a country and western music fan. Still it is okay. I actually like the garlic mercantile shop for the souvenirs, food items, cookbook and household goods. I usually don't shop for items on an impulsive basis, but I could not resist the canvas tote bag ($20) and a bottle of garlic chipotle sauce ($6). Just that quick I spent $41 in 30 minutes. At least it is cool in there. Drawbacks: hot weather and long lines of people at the food stands. The only short line I saw was the vendor selling kettle corn in three flavors - original, caramel and garlic. My sister suggested getting the garlic kettle corn. Good suggestion! I enjoyed that savory popcorn and that's the best thing out of this garlic festival. Return trip? Yes, for a bigger bag of garlic kettle corn. Tip: Bring plenty of bottled water to stay hydrated and sunscreen lotion. Wear a hat to protect one's head.

My dude and I have been planning on going to the Garlic Festival since we found out Colbie Caillat was performing as we love her relationship and love songs. So we made a day trip out of it. We left our city around 4pm and made it to Gilroy around 5:30-5:45pm on Saturday. We arrived in the Christmas Tree park area, parked and we did not know we had to take the buses to Christmas Tree Park. Colbie was to perform at 6pm and We got on the bus around 5:45pm. The school buses that they were using was so different than school buses I remember as kids. I just felt so crammed together or spoiled as I remember riding Charter Buses. Anywho, we were stuck on the bus for a good 20 minutes as no one knew what the hold up was and it was already 6pm and the Colbie Caillat was already performing. Finally we arrived to the front of the grounds and exited. We had to go through security in which they had us walk through detectors and checked bags. I remember my dude and I made a comment that they really didn't check our bags as anyone could have brought weapons in. I told my boyfriend that the checks should be more thorough. We go to the Wine Garden as they had wine Slushies which was delicious. We got our drinks and walked around a little bit looking for the amphitheater which was tucked away near the children's area. By the time we got to the area Colbie was performing it was packed so we stood a few places in which we decided to sit near the children's area. Colbie Caillat and her band did a wonderful job and we were so excited to be super close to her! We stood with our backs facing the children's area and sat down once a couple left. Upon sitting down a few people stood in front of us in which an older dude yelled to the peeps in front of us to move as he couldn't see. He even asked a group of people to leave as they were standing in which a verbal exchanged occurred and the dude who instigated stood up as he was about to fight. Instantly like in seconds 6 police officers showed up and the dude who was starting drama had those innocent folks moved. The dude eventually calmed down but left a few minutes as his girlfriend and him were totally on edge and it was so unnecessary. I was so impressed of how quick law enforcement arrived! Anywho, after the show at 7:30pm...my dude and I were leaving and security began to push me and my boyfriend back as I was confused on what was going on...security yelled that Colbie was coming through and she walks right past me!!!! And the rest of her crew too and they leave... like wow!!! The boyfriend bought me a Colbie shirt with is so me and very pretty. We tried the free Garlic ice cream which was yummy, we ate fair tacos which was disappointing and didn't realize that there was a another half of the festival. The tacos were disappointing and the Piña drink tasted like bleach and I made my dude throw it out as he still wanted to drink it. We ended up getting dip and dots which I was w happy camper. I enjoyed my time at the festival and it was so scary and disheartening to hear about the shooting the next day!!! Especially since we were sitting in the children's area. There were hundreds of people there to see Colbie that day and I can't imagine how that would have turned out. My heart truly goes out to the families who were hurt by it as the Garlic Festival is a family friendly event. My boyfriend and I had plans to come again next year as we had a splendid time there but it does worry me of the close call that we had!

Prayers to the victim's families of another senseless shooting. Our experience there was based on Saturday of this year's festival. We got there a little later on purpose due to the heat. I can't say the dirt road parking was terrific but the idea of collecting the parking pass afterwards was smart in terms of expediting people to enter. The bus was fast for pickup but when it was time to drop us off, we sat on the bus for almost 5 minutes since we were waiting for the other buses. Our driver ended up parking past the first bus and opened the door. I do have to also say we had to go through security and a metal detector. We never felt this place had a chance that an isolated shooter can enter the premise. We also saw a bunch of police patrolling on horses, bikes, and motorcycles. Most were on foot and it seems all of Gilroy's finest were there for this event. The map that was given by the door I thought was a total waste of time. Nothing seems to match what it shows. So as a result, we were walking in circles trying to look for the free garlic ice cream. As it turned out, that was furthest away from the entrance. We were lucky to have friends who actually bought our combo plate ($15) for us. The line was easily 20 minutes and the crazy thing was there were multiple tents for the same food and all were busy. The garlic shrimp (3 pieces was the most garlicky thing I've eaten in a long time). It blows those shrimp trucks from Hawaii out of the water. But really now, 3 pieces? On the plate was also a slice of garlic bread, some pesto noodles, and a beef sandwich that was wrapped which was also really tasty. That seems to be worth the money for what you get. But what isn't really worth anything is the garlic fries for $8 that had no taste of garlic. Zero. Nada. We have better garlic fries at the ball park here that costs less. Also bottle water for $5? C'mon people left and right are falling down with the medics getting to them. Do you want everyone to faint? On the way out, there were people pouring what looks like 2 oz dixie cups of water. I have to tell you, water never tasted so good but when the cup is smaller than that of your dentist, there is a problem. We also bought smoothies from the boba tent. All three flavors. For some reason, the mango one seemed just made as within 5 minutes it all turned into sugar water. It was probably the best deal for $6 if you wanted some temporary relief from the heat. As for the bathrooms, the port-o-potties were semi clean on one and not so much on the other (more remote area near the children's area). There were still toilet paper so I'll give them a pass for this. It was okay but I've been to worse. We saw Colbie Calliat and Justin Kawika Young along with members of Gone West. I've been a fan of Colbie and Justin for years, too bad they took off immediately after the concert. I would've loved to get a picture with them with the family. I did manage to snag one before the concert with the help of my friend Lisa. Been a fan of this event since childhood as well as the singers. So it was nice to be able to cross this off my bucket list but I wouldn't say I would want to come back. It was really expensive considering we spent over a hundred dollars ($20 each for entry, $10 for parking $5 for bottle waters, $15 for combo meal)and food wise, it wasn't anything super spectacular that you couldn't get elsewhere. I would say if the weather was better, maybe try this event in the morning when they open and not stay more than a couple hours. I'm not sure how this festival is going to be next year, but I'm sure they'll be some changes. #PrayforGilroy

First, parking. I got off the freeway at Masten (as directed), found general parking, and then got redirected to handicapped parking which was 8.1 miles away (15 min drive). Everyone gets shuttled in by nice drivers, which is exciting and fun on your way in, but tiring and anxiety-testing on your way out. Once in, you realize it's a merely a two-band Coachella without the hipsters. Hot and dusty and crowded and hot. At any given time it seems that everyone else is either in your way, in line, or taking up the last available seat or piece of shade. Soon I realized I had just paid to enter the world's hottest, dustiest outdoor food court, and overpriced at that, with limited seating and/or shade. I will say that they don't skimp on the garlic. The garlic fries (at $8, one of the few deals) were smothered in diced garlic, so overpowering that my mouth was on fire. So that's how they sell the $5 sodas. (Instead of a soda, I recommend a huge $7 snow cone). The best parts was the band area, with an uncrowded seating area of bales of hay under a tarp. I liked the free garlic ice cream samples (note to organizers: more samples would be more fun). I also liked the cooking demos. We were there Friday: too early for the celebrity guests on the bigger stage, but liked the little one with a well-rehearsed steamer salesman asking questions like a kindergarten teacher. "Who think nutrients are good?"(*raises hand, rolls eyes like Pee Wee at the Alamo*) OK, so would I go again? Hell no. Hell because it felt like it, and no because it cost $20 to get in and $15 to park to eat overpriced foods in the desert. The only reason I'm throwing shade is so that the other customers will have some.

My first and probably only time I'll ever attend the Gilroy Garlic Festival. For this year's 3 day festival, I attended on Saturday, which was forecasted to be a very hot day. We ordered the advanced online bundled tickets (~$40/person) that included a special CalTrain ride from the San Jose Diridon Station to Gilroy Station, then buses from the Gilroy Station to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. While on the CalTrain, one of the Festival's ex-board members stood at the front of our train box broadcasting what to expect and answering questions. He told us about the famous combo plates ($15 at the door, discounted if you buy online) and various food offerings. He told us that they'd be passing out free water bottles in the parking lot area we'd pass through to get to the ticket stand and check-in area. He also told us that there would be FREE water refilling stations spread throughout the venue where we could refill our water bottles. While his combo plate inclusions were correct, everything else he said about water was a flat lie. There were NO free bottles of water being passed out in the lot outside check-in. There were also NO free water refilling stations spread throughout the venue. Only $5 water bottles (nty). Given that the event organizers already had 40+ years to get their act together for this annual event, I was shocked to experience the disorganization and blatant lack of care for event attendees. Especially given the hot 100+ degree weather, they should have made sure to provide adequate shade and water for its guests. To elaborate on lack of shade and water, the venue was almost entirely open land with no shade. There was a partially mesh-covered area for the cooking demos, but the sun and heat still penetrated through. There were also only a few cramped misting tent stations that only temporarily helped with the heat. I never encountered the small dixie cups of water being passed out when folks started fainting from the heat that other Yelpers mentioned, so perhaps this was only in one small area of the festival. Like others have mentioned, the security at check-in was a joke. The person with the metal detector seemed to only selectively scan larger males that seemed potentially intimidating. Security didn't bother checking all bags either. I was going to open up my bag for her to check, but she just impatiently waved me through. The map of the venue handed out at check-in was useless. There was no clear indication where things were actually located, so even with the maps and directories, you still wander around lost trying to find certain food stations or activity booths. The printed listing of events and their times was also incomplete, so folks missed out unless they looked up the list online. Of the garlic-themed foods offered, I only thought the pepper steak sandwich ($10) was more worth getting. It wasn't the most garlic-y, but the steak was tender and you get a decent amount of meat complimented with veggies in your bread. The garlic fries ($8) were a rip-off for the price since you get a tiny side dish of fries mixed with raw garlic (spicy!). The $6 slushies were godsend even tho too sweet. The free garlic ice cream in tiny cones was nice to try. Even though the line got long and seemed intimidating, it actually moved relatively quickly. They let you grab 2 small cones per person to make the wait slightly more worth it. It's basically vanilla ice cream with a hint of garlic in it. Not bad, but nothing spectacular either. After about 1-2 hours of wandering around the venue, my companion and I were bored out of our minds and wilting from the growing heat. There weren't that many things to really do if you aren't interested in constant drinking and spending money on food and non-garlic related vendor crafts/goods/etc. The bad thing about getting the CalTrain bundled ticket was that we arrived around 11am, but had to wait until 3pm to be able to start boarding busses to go back to the Gilroy CalTrain Station. So we had to wait out another 2 hours in the inescapable sun and heat x___X When it was finally 3pm, we along with a huge group of folks stood outside the festival waiting for the buses. Well, there was only one small bus that arrived late. Guess what happens when you force folks to stand under the blistering sun waiting to go home and only a 20 person bus shows up for a crowd of over 100. Lots of pushing & shoving and plenty of unhappy people. More buses started arriving later after long wait times. Festival organizers definitely could have made this part of transit much better. The least they could have done would be to provide a shaded area for attendees to wait under and maybe passed out some water. There were many elderly and small children who were having a hard time in the heat, which should have been a concern they anticipated already. Overall, the experience is definitely NOT WORTH the money or time. Don't go. Stay safe.

Too bad this year the gilroy garlic festival was only a drive through experience. We ordered garlic fries in advance and my friends ordered a bunch of sandwiches, shrimp etc. I thought the garlic fries was decent, super garlicky if that's what you like. I still have the garlic taste in my mouth after a day. It is super pungent. The other dishes were honestly meh. The shrimp was not very fresh. The sandwiches were quite oily and not special. I am being a little harsh because it was quite expensive. I thought the statues at the pick up site were very cute. They could have also sold some garlic there, that would be nice.

I've been looking forward to coming to this festival ever since last year (2018), when I first moved up to the Bay Area since I've heard people rave about it. I was really excited to attend and came on a Saturday where it was 90+ degrees. But we stuck it out because it's only an annual event! ++ PARKING: Don't bother washing your car prior to this event because you'll be parking in a dirt lot. They do keep watering the dirt through the day to ensure that ya not dry and kicks up dirt storm. The parking lot was really far away from the actual festival and you'll have to take the complimentary shuttle there. The shuttle ride there was pretty easy and chill. But the return shuttle was a disaster. We stood in line for ages and they kept letting other people cut in front of us. Then they made us go backwards to the end of the line which pissed some people off and it got wild where it was every man for themselves. People just started rushing to the next available opening to get on the shuttle. I can't believe I paid $15 for this savagery. ++ FOOD: my husband and I shared a combo plate ($15) and was able to be full from it. The pesto pasta was pretty dry and the calamari was like chewing rubber. The tritip sandwich was a bit too soggy. The best thing was probably the garlic bread. I was pretty underwhelmed by the minimal amount of garlic items on my plate. We also got a smoothie ($10) because was the most refreshing and worth-it drink there is. You can also pay $5 for a bottle of cold water... not worth! The free garlic ice cream was cool to try once but I would rather pay than to stand in line for 45mins in the heat for the smallest ice cream in the world. Lastly, the garlic fries were pretty bomb and worth getting! I believe they use garlic oil to fry it cause you can definitely taste it in the fry. ++ ACTIVITIES: There are about 2 stages with live music and a cooking show demo. Other than that, you just walk around to check out the small shops. We did buy 2 handmade wedding cards that we thought were pretty cool. Not much else asides from eating.

The last time I've been to Gilroy Garlic Festival was when I was a kid with my parents. I decided to go this year because 1. I love garlic and 2. they have this event every year and it always seems to be a really big deal Note: every year it'll always be HOT. HOT. HOT. the best time to come is right when they open to semi beat the heat and the crowd. Parking was.. weird. Came to park in a huge dirt area in the middle of nowhere then took a bus to the festival ($10) I recommend eating garlic ice cream first before eating everything else. Ate garlic shrimp, sausage sandwich, and garlic fries before getting garlic ice cream. Couldn't tell whether the garlic was coming from the ice cream or from the food before. Shrimp: way way way too strong Garlic ice cream: as expected Sausage sandwich: not great. Kinda awkward to eat. A whole sausage in the hoagie roll was just a mess. Butterfly cutting the sausage would have been way better and less messy. Probably would never come back. It's just way too hot and wish there was more shade

Garlic fries, garlic bread, all garlic EVERYTHANG! This is the only place where I wouldn't mind having garlic breath all day! The Gilroy garlic festival is your ticket to garlic paradise. Because, let's face it; nobody does garlic the way that Gilroy does garlic! If you've never been to the Gilroy garlic festival, I would say that it's definitely worth at least one visit in your lifetime! This was my first year attending the Gilroy garlic festival. Overall, I would say that I had a pretty decent experience. Let me just go on ahead and break it all the way down for you: Weather: Most locals already know that Gilroy can get scorching hot in the summertime. Ironically, this festival is always held on the last weekend of July... one of the hottest months in the summer for this area. Despite this, people still come out to enjoy the Garlicky madness. Bring plenty of water, lather up on the sunscreen, and dress light. You'll be sweating like a pig, but just think about all of that yummy garlic food! Parking: Naturally, this festival is extremely popular. People come from all over the Bay Area and beyond to attend. Because of this, parking can be a nightmare. As most people always stress; either come early or come late. I came late on a Sunday and was able to find a decent parking spot. You can also pre-pay for the parking, which helps a bit for the line when you're leaving. You will have to park, pick up a ticket, and then board a bus that will take you to the festival. When you leave, you will bring the ticket to the booth at the exit and pay there, or they'll scan your pre-pay ticket. Parking was $10 this year, which wasn't too bad. Tickets: it's so much easier to just pay for your ticket online. You can show the electronic ticket on your phone and they'll scan it. Save yourself the hassle and skip the line! If you do choose to pay at the fair, get there early, or come close to closing so that you don't have to wait that long. Entertainment: There are lots of different activities available if want to dabble in something different. There's zip lining, rock climbing, adult games, a kids play area, live cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, caricature, live music and dance performances, live animals, and gift and souvenir shopping available. I was able to catch some of the live performances and the live grilling demo. I was too hot to participate in the rock climbing and zip lining, but it did to appear to be pretty fun. Food: Alas, the garlicky goodness! This is the perfect time to stuff your face full of food and drink, and to not think twice about it. There are so many different variations of garlic items here, that it's crazy! Garlic fries, garlic bread, garlic pasta, garlic shrimp, even garlic ice cream! If you don't feel like having hella garlic, there are plenty of other non-garlic options offered here as well (mostly your typical fair food). My favorite garlic foods were the garlic bread and the garlic shrimp scampi! I could have probably eaten about 10 more bowls of that shrimp scampi! It was just insanely good! However the garlic fries, which was what I was most excited for, were a complete let down. It didn't even seem like they put any garlic on them. I know I came later in the day on a Sunday, but I just expected them to be way better than they were. The lines weren't too long since I came late in the day, but I'm sure they were ridiculous in the afternoon. Overall, it was just an average experience for me. It's probably not a festival that I would go to every year, but I'm glad that I was able to finally attend this year.

Ok, so I went this past summer. Here are the reasons why it gets a low score from me. It's HELLA far if you are living in SF or the East Bay.... It's HELLA hot... there's no place for shade really and not that many places to sit. I came at like 3pm or so and there wasn't a line to the shuttle to get to the actual festival but I heard it is super long. the food is expensive (not surprising) and did I mention its HELLA hot? Reasons why its getting at least 2 stars. Food wasn't too bad, it does have GARLIC everything, so duh. Also, the shrimp scampi was like porridge of butter, so not all the food is good. So honestly, its not worth it, cuz you have to pay for a ticket, its really big though and LOTS and LOTS of stuff to see and do, but the lines were super long for everything. But I had never been to one so I thought I might try to go. Probably won't be going again unless I'm paid or someone begs me and even if I do, I'm coming AFTER 12, I don't know if I could do a whole day there. Cool thing: They cook the shrimp in these HUGE woks!! and its on fire and all that, so that's fun Pro tip: go in the afternoon unless you want to spend the whole day there, lines are shorter and its cooler

They're not kidding when they say they celebrate all things garlic in Gilroy. And as far as festivals go, this one followed the recipe for success: *Well Organized* Easy parking, with busses shuttling large groups every 5 minutes from the parking lot to the actual festival. They kept that line moving! Simple check-in, friendly volunteers, plenty of security. When you leave you scan your prepaid parking voucher. *Well Laid Out* This festival is H U G E. Make sure you wear good walking shoes, because you've got to cover quite a bit of ground to see everything. Gourmet Alley (aka the area where all the eats can be found) is central to the festival. There's also beer tasting, wine gardens (my personal fav), a massive array of vendors, chef demos, kids areas and more. Hell, they even had a zip line going across the the thing. For a 3 day festival that attracts thousands of people, it was pretty amazing how smooth everything ran. *Good Eats* As a vegan, I was prepared to sample maybe only garlic fries if I was lucky. But surprisingly, I didn't leave hungry! The fries, which are the biggest attraction, were some of the best garlic fries I have ever eaten, but my personal favorite was the marinated mushrooms. Wow those were delicious! I also sampled a falafel gyro with garlic tahini sauce that was already fully vegan without substitution and pretty decent. *Good Drinks* No festival will be complete in my book without adult beverages. The beer area, although organized, was disappointing in that there was no craft brew to be found. Which probably explains why people really weren't lingering there even though it offered the most shade in the festival. So we happily ventured over to the oasis that is the wine garden, where people were enjoying the misters over head. I pulled the trigger on 9 tastings for $25. It was worth it, because I tasted some really delicious wine, including a pinot noir that I cashed in 3 of my tastings for in order to have a full glass. After tasting a variety from the surrounding area, I plan on coming back to wine taste for sure. *Great Music* The music was continuous and made for a pleasant vibe. The coverband by the wine garden was particularly good. If you've never been to this festival you should go. It's definitely an experience.

As a local of San Jose, I have always wanted to visit the famous annual Garlic Festival but I was in LA finishing school. Now that I've graduated and moved back, I finally had the chance to visit this past Saturday. I was expecting so much from this event especially because people have been hyping it up. My expectations weren't met and I am beyond disappointed. Because the festival is in Gilroy, the venue is set on dusty, dry land which radiates so much heat from the sun. Given that it was summer I accepted my fate to invite new melanin into my body (I knew was gonna get sunburnt even with sunscreen). Parking was well organized. We came from the Pink lot which we had to take a 10 minute shuttle to the venue. Parking tickets are to be shown when heading back to the lot, meaning you had to buy them prior to leaving. There were many vendors but NOT ENOUGH garlic. I was disappointed to find out there were no garlic noodles! All the food were over priced and the festival's "main food court" was a disaster. After waiting for almost an hour, we get to the front and are told they've ran out of food. REALLY??? We had to wait another 20 minutes for them to bring in new food from their kitchen. Many were frustrated. Also servings were so minuscule! A shrimp scampi for $10 that only had 3 shrimp??? Ridiculous. -------- So the day after I attended the festival there was a reported active shooter. 3 killed and 16 injured. I can say first hand the festival's security was very unorganized and there were not enough police officers on site. When we entered the security check point the attendant was asking if we had any weapons or pocket knives but didn't dare pat us down, rather he just cleared us EASILY. This is a safety issue and need to be addressed accordingly. I was lucky enough to not be there during the shooting. I, however feel sorry for those who had to experience such horror. Rest In Peace to those who passed. WORSE EXPERIENCE. Please make changes and STRENGTHEN SECURITY!

Firstly, my thoughts and regards to those who were killed and injured during Sunday's shooting. I wish them peace and healing. For the festival, it's difficult to give them any more than 2 stars. You would think organizers would be more considerate of the health and safety of the individuals attending this event. To allow people to stand in lines without providing shade is torture. To charge $5 for a single bottle (500ml) of water is cruel. To knowingly organize an event during the summer on the same weekend each year and not provide a better way for individuals to cool down is reckless. The temp reached 100+ degrees and all they could offer people, waiting in lines, were small Dixie cups of water. There were people passing out from heat exhaustion and it took quite a while for emergency responders to assist. Luckily, this was my and hubby's 2nd time attending, so we were prepared. We dressed light, brought large bottles of water, and took an umbrella for our personal shade. We arrived around 1100am on Saturday and it was already packed with the heat climbing into the mid 80's and by 3pm was 97 degrees in the shade. Last time we came (4-5 yrs ago), I think there were more garlic-infused foods and treats. This time there wasn't as much. Not even much to see in the garlic Mercantile tent. This year's garlicfest seemed lazily put together. Not planning on attending another garlicfest in the future. The best part of this garlicfest was the fact that I was able to spend time with my NorCal family members.

No sir! Just like everyone else said, long lines, hot as hell, parking sucks, and the shuttle line was 4 hours long with no shade. We were in 90+ degree weather and there's hardly any shade around. We found seating where the concert area was but that's it. There's a bunch of little tents people were packing under. There's no misters and water is $5! Really odd, but you don't have to pay to park unless you take the shuttle back to the parking lot. This is something we figured out. We took an Uber back to the lot, they don't even check you when you leave. Very unorganized, BUT the smoothies were yummy and the combo plate was good. Ahh...the silver lining. The garlic ice cream doesn't taste like garlic smh. You can bring water (plastic bottle only), back packs, umbrellas, and mist machines. Keep cool!

I really don't need to reiterate the previous reviews, but I can confirm the following: 1. It's very hot. 2. It's very expensive. 3. It's very underwhelming. Not much to do except listen to music, buy miscellaneous garbage, and eat. Kids have more activities to enjoy, but the options are still limited at best. If you're vegan, you won't starve, but you should probably pack a lunch. The only real food I found was garlic edamame and fried tofu. Everything else is meaty, covered in butter, and/or topped with cheese. For snacks, you can get kettle corn, marinated mushrooms, frozen fruit kebabs (without the chocolate dip,) or frozen lemonade. Glad I went to say that I did it, but after driving about 4 hours round trip, it's hard to say that the 1 hour we spend at the festival was genuinely worthwhile.

It seems trite to write a review in light of the senseless tragedy that happened on Sunday at the festival this year. My heart and thoughts are with the families and community that was directly impacted by this event. I pray for peace and closure in this whole ordeal. #GilroyStrong So, I was there with my family on Friday and Saturday for the first time to cheer on my mom who was a contestant in the Great Garlic Cookoff, and was really hoping to find an exciting festival going on. I was generally disappointed on most points. It felt like the $20 per person ticket price, which just included entry, not any special samples or beverages, was not worth the value - not to mention the $15 parking fee per day that most people had to pay. So, that would be $55, just to walk into a large, mostly dirt lot in 100+ degree heat, and then have to purchase $5 water, $8 French Fries, $15 Combo plate or $10 Shrimp Scampi. We only ordered food from "Gourmet Alley" - that's where the festival's official food is made by the Pyro Chef's (volunteers working huge woks that often erupt into huge flames) There are tons of other vendors, hawking things like alligator bites, frogs legs, etc. but we didn't try any of those because it reminded us of simple fair food. The shrimp scampi was nice - very garlic forward but overall nice flavor and shrimp was not rubbery. The Calimari (not fried) was a little chewy and fishy for my preference - again lots of mostly raw garlic. The garlic bread was probably my favorite (get lots of napkins as this bread is greasy, greasy, greasy). I love garlic, but if we're being picky, most dishes we had just had spoonfuls of what tasted to be barely cooked garlic. I would have liked to see a little more finesse, like roasted garlic, or grilled garlic or something more than just a ton of raw garlic on everything. PROS: - Tom Colicchio (one of my foodie crushes) was there to judge the garlic cookoff and give a cooking demo ((swoon)). - Groupon was offering 1/2 off admission tickets and 1/2 off parking passes (look there first - best deal I saw). - FREE (tiny) Garlic Ice Cream sample (on Friday the line was bearable - on Saturday it was like 200 people deep...completely not worth the wait) - You can bring in your own water bottles (pack LOTS). - The kids area had a Home Depot sponsored activity center where the kids could choose from about 15 different FREE wood projects to complete like, a birdhouse, airplane, seed planter, bookends, etc. lots of fun. CONS: - $5 for one bottle of water seems like torture when it's 100+ degrees outside and not much shade. We couldn't find the "water station" that might or might not have been there. - Security guard jokingly asked me if I had a gun in my purse. I said "of course not" so he let me go through, my husband was with me (with a large backpack) and he waved him through without looking in the bag. In light of the events that occurred the following day - I'd say security was not tight enough. - I think there were only two misting tents (the size of a small pop up that you take to a sporting event) in the whole festival. Side Note: We happened to be staying at a nearby hotel, that had a complimentary shuttle which was a complete lifesaver. The heat was almost unbearable, and from what I could tell, regular parking placed you way on the back side of the festival. I heard stories of people waiting forever to take the small train to the front of the festival gates where you had to enter. Overall, this festival is run by volunteers, so I have to give them some grace. Thank you for all the sweat and tears put into this event. Will I be back? No. That's a hard, no.

Not sure where many of the reviewers were but we had fun! Of course I grew up in Midwest county fair country and I didn't expect a Vegas dinner show. Take your fit bit. You will log some steps. Fun entertainment and crafts. The food wasn't gourmet but it was good. We had beef and pepper sandwiches, the admittedly gimmicky garlic ice-cream and even some escargot in garlic sauce. Nice souvenirs, glasses calendars, posters. Heed all tips on parking, heat, etc. It is outdoors in California in summer. The venue does have a fair amount of shade. We doubled down and went camping at a nearby State Park where we got to observe vultures and owls. Lots of fun. We'll be back.

This is second year attending Gilroy Garlic Festival Location is right of Hwy 101 in the city of Gilroy CA The air is dry and hot with little breeze to bring some sanity to the heat. There is so much to do at this festival They offer cook offs, bbq, and food courts The drinks: water, soda, beer etc is a little over priced so bring plenty of water and light clothing. The festival offers free concerts and music in different areas of the park and offers an area especially designed for the kids One section of the park is dedicated to venders and there is an array of items for all people

My experience at the garlic festival was still fun, but a bit different than when I came two years ago. We came here on Sunday; the booths and activities were the same, and very fun. Everything was so well organized and I was very impressed by how clean the parking lot was. Last time it was very dusty, but now there were giant trucks hosing down all the dirt with water so it was not dusty at all when you parked your car. The biggest disappointment was the price of the food. Last time I came, I remember food items and ice cream being a reasonable price for the quantity you get, but this year I found it to be excessively overpriced. The price of garlic fries went up by at least two or three dollars, but you only get the same amount as last time which is like medium sized McDonald's fries. The gourmet platter was also a couple of dollars more expensive and the quality of the food they give you really isn't that great. They ran out of the pesto pasta which is what we were looking forward to the most, so we ended up getting regular spaghetti with red sauce. The spaghetti look like it had been sitting out and was all squished together. I really enjoyed the calamari, The food was not bad but it was definitely not high-quality food. The ice cream was the most ridiculous part to me, personally. For $5.99 we got literally a half a scoop of ice cream that I was able to finish in two or three spoonfuls. I'm not exaggerating, I promise. My boyfriend got the pistachio ice cream and I opted for Rocky road. You can definitely taste a hint of garlic as an aftertaste with the pistachio ice cream, but there was absolutely no garlic flavor with rocky road. The ice cream quality was all right, but the garlic is what gives it the wow factor so it was disappointing to spend so much money on garlic ice cream and not even taste the garlic. Overall, the prices of the garlic festival have increased but they're definitely trying to milk you for your money nowadays. It was a memorable experience but I do not think I will be returning.

TIPS: Print your tickets or take a screen shot of your tickets ahead of time. Bad cell reception; you won't be able to access your tickets online. And because of the bad cell reception, getting an Uber from the festival may be difficult. Lastly, I suggest bringing a blanket to picnic on. Seating is limited.

When i die i want my body smothered in olive oil and marinated in salt and garlic just before i get cremated. Yes thats how much i love garlic!! Plus i want to smell like roasted garlic when they put me in that huge human oven. Ok now that i grossed u guys out lets talk about the garlic festival :) Getting to Garlic festival can be tricky you really have to pay attention to the signs on your way up they're if you follow the gps you will get lost considering that half the streets are closed off for this event. Once you get to the parking grounds is pretty easy, just remember the color and letter you parked in because they have these shuttle buses that pick you up and take u to the festival. Once you get to the actual festival the air is just vibrant with garlic being cooked theres so much food you wont even know where to start. There food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, they have a stage for shows going on and theres also vendors selling garlic ropes and plenty of souvenirs. This is my 2nd year coming and i dont plan on stopping i love this place for what it is. I suggest you guys take a trip to the yearly garlic festival and enjoy yourselves, ITS TOTALLY WORTH IT!

It was my first time visiting the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Many of my friends and family been there already so I wanted to check it out. Ticket prices are $20 per person and parking $10. Driving there was really easy. They provided many signs and employees showing you the way so you wouldn't get lost. Once you park your car, the next is to ride the shuttle bus to the festival. The food: Garlic ice cream - They're good and they're free! I thought it tasted better than I expected. Garlic fries - Very soft and crunchy with the nice balance. Garlic calamari - These were to die for, I wish they added more pieces. Pepper Steak sandwich - It was just okay. Pasta - Definitely try this. I would prefer without the combo meal. Pina colada smoothie - Very good smoothie. Recommended to finish off the day. I would like to come here again. The food was awesome!

Great place! prepare to bring water to drink and sunscreen

Been wanting to attend this food festival for some time. My dad and I are pretty big fans of garlic, so our family came out this year to see what it is about. We came quite early, so parking and taking the bus in was quick. The volunteers were amazing, very friendly and inviting. Tried the combo plate, BBQ oysters, strawberry smoothie, and garlic ice cream. The combo plate and BBQ oysters were pretty good, but also too salty and oily. The strawberry smoothie was alright, it was refreshing and much needed in the sweltering heat. Got in line to try the garlic ice cream, but it was not my thing; I could not consume it. There wasn't much to do or much things of interest to my family. Some things we were interested in required waiting for specific times or had limited spots. Some people were aggressive in saving spots for others who were not present, so no thank you. Also, we did not want to stay outside in the heat any longer than we had to. We mostly walked around to see what they had, checked out the selling booths, and had food. I think it's good to experience the Gilroy Garlic Festival at least once, but it's not something I'd really want to go to again.

I haven't been to the Garlic Festival since my college days, over 2 decades ago. My DD really wanted to try their infamous garlic ice cream among other known items. Out of the 3 days, Saturday was forecasted to be the coolest. So, we made a family date to go early, right when they opened. Wow! It's a major production now. Back in the days, it was small potatoes. The festival is all growns up. If you are driving 101 South, you exit Masten vs. following your GPS. That's where you park, off site and then are shuttled in an air conditioned tour bus. En route there, you watch a video. Wow! I didn't realize that all the people working the festival, are VOLUNTEERS. You'll see families working together to direct traffic, man booths, etc., All proceeds go back to the community. What a great cause. I'll support it. As soon as we arrived, there are all kinds of booths with samples. From Pepsi to Nathan's to my fav, the Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar with artisan bread to dip. Yummmm! Moving along... We did opt for the combo plate with our ticket, just so we can try different things. The presentation of the plate wasn't very appealing, however, don't just a book by it's cover. The marinated mushrooms, scampi, garlic bread, and 1/2 sausage sandwich wasn't bad. It was quite tasty and didn't lack any flavor. I guess when you put THAT much garlic in any dish, it's hard to be bland. We did get a chance to explore most of the festival before it was getting ridiculously crowded. My DD enjoyed the Children's Area. She stopped by the Home Depot booth to make her own Heart Box. There was a vendor that sold outdoor spinning wheels. Surprisingly, they were only $5 for a large one. This would have easily costed $20 -$25 in any cutsie boutique in Danville or Livermore. A good buy! Of course we sought out the free Garlic ice cream. Being that we ate so much garlic beforehand, we really couldn't taste any garlic from the ice cream. It just tasted like cold ice cream. Overall, we had a good time and hit all the spots we wanted to visit. Next time, we will have to try the BBQ section. We simply couldn't fit anything else in our bellies with all the Garlic infusion filling up the space. My only complaint, as with any outdoorsy festival: The port-a-potties. Yuck! It never gets better. Someone should come up with maybe another option to pay to use like nicer golf tournament type ones. Very nice! Just a thought... Notes: Drive a 4×4 or off roading vehicle, if you have one. The road to park is muddy. Wear closed toe shoes Don't wear white clothes as it will be covered in dust Bring hand wipes as port-a-potties will run out of t.p. and they were out of water (so, no hand washing until they refilled)

If you really want to experience gilroy summer days, thee gilroy garlic festival is the way to go. Admission is a whopping $20 a person; and $10 to park your car, which likely goes towards the shuttle that takes you to the festival grounds from the parking lot. Once you arrive you realize it's all under the wonderful sunshine beams at 90F+, but you just feel like you are swimming in your own sweat. There are vendor tents and trees to cool off if you need a break from the heat. A couple of random vendor tents entice you with prizes which is always a perk. Obligatory garlic vendors are present to satisfy your gilroy garlic shopping needs. The popular stand is typically the free garlic ice cream courtesy of Olam, where the line the moves since they are literally just handing out bite sized ice cream scoops. There's cooking demos, musical entertainment and artists selling their crafts. This year and last year Masterchef winner Shaun O'Neale came. And if you actually have an appetite despite the hot heat, there's a handful of booths cooking up garlic themed grub. Would be more enjoyable to hold the event during cooler months, but then it wouldn't be the garlic festival if it's not held during the hottest month.

No free water available and the only water available in the entire festival grounds was $3 a piece. While I came here expecting to pay quite a bit-- I wasn't expecting their desire to make a buck to so far overshadow their ability to be respectful of the fact that they're hosting a festival in the middle of hundred degree heat. Seriously the only water that wasn't going to cost you is the nonpotable water in front of the port a pottys. They also shut off the bathrooms and water fountains normally present in this park for the event. The paid water stations are not necessarily readily available either. Given the lack of shade, sweltering heat, and amount of alcohol available at this festival-- it's a heat stroke or dehydration incident/lawsuit waiting to happen.

Well organized. Lots of garlic: had sausage sandwich, shrimp & bread. Got a picture of Garlic man! But miss the Big Festival hopefully next year. Smiles!

What an absolutely incredible event. Has been going on since my son was born, whose now 40. Soo many food booths with so many things with garlic. The garlic ice cream was a bit of a stretch but hey, it's a garlic festival. Lots of great music and of course the air is filled with the smell of garlic. Bring your appetite

mmm yeah meh...every summer there's so much hype around the Gilroy Garlic Festival and every year I always PASS...But this year I was GO! Tickets - Buy online or when you get there, easier if you buy before hand. Parking - Dirt, dirt, and more dirt. This experience kind of ruined it for me as it is treacherous just getting to the actual festival. Getting into the parking lot took a long time, the area you park in is dirt, and dirt flying everywhere around you. Then you have to wait in line to board a bus to get to the actual festival. Food - lots of vendors, not just garlic speciality stands but almost all kinds of foods from Dip & Dots to Gyros. Drinks galore from beer/wine to sangria. The one must try food item is the garlic fries and we tried the crab garlic fries and let me tell you they were to die for. We even ordered them again before we were leaving, just fantastic! So would I come back here?...probably not. At $20 admission it's a bit steep, and the food isn't any cheaper as almost all items are anywhere from $8-10 for small bites. If you've never been here I would say come and check it out. Now that I've experienced it, I don't think I will return especially with that crazy parking situation.

Shame on you Gilroy garlic festival! I visited this venue every year religiously (I skipped last year due to major surgery). This year they sneak in $10 fee for parking (on your exit of the festival not the parking lot = holding you hostage)! So me & my wife had to pay $20 total (no receipt) to exit (not $10 per car but per person)! BTW you pay also to enter the festival $20/pp! As a handicapped person (as per CA laws) I don't have to pay for parking on streets of California! But we (handicap people & anybody else starting this year) have to pay to park in Garlic festival!!! I hope some lawyer will take them to court for discriminating against people with disabilities! I'll think hard and long next year to visit...how about if I purchased large object (painting etc.) and just want to drop it if in my car and came back to the festival?

This is our first time at the Garlic Festival, which is a large outdoor food and craft fair. It runs July 24 to 26, 2015. We didn't know what to expect and only came for a few hours. Like other Yelp Reviews, its on the expensive side, and traffic can be a bit heavy to and from the festival. Once you're there, things went smoothly. Parking/Shuttle: 5 stars. They have plenty of CHP officers directing traffic to the lot and lots of volunteers directing traffic into the dirt and hay field (the parking lot). We wound up in the Blue Lot. They have free buses taking folks to/from the festival, about 3 miles away. Venue: 5 stars. I liked how they had free water, and plenty of tents and shaded areas for eating and resting. People at the festival were really in a good mood and very friendly. I saw strangers offering each other a sample of the garlic fries. Besides food, they have cooking demos, craft shops, vendors, and even a rock climbing wall. Garlic Ice Cream: 4-stars. Its free in a tiny sugar cone, and they will happily hand out 2-4 per person. It does have garlic flavor, but its still ice cream and has some vanilla. I once had wasabi ice cream in Japan and over there they don't pull punches! Combo Plates: 3.5-stars. At $15 each pretty pricy. Combo 1 has tender, garlicky calamari and a nice garlic pesto pasta. The pepper steak sandwich was on the bland side. Combo 2 had garlic mushrooms and scampi which were both good, along with an awesome garlic sausage sandwich that was juicy and paired well with the grilled veggies. Garlic bread on both combos were spot on. Gumbo: 4-stars - Roux was good, and they did use more seafood like shrimp and cod. Portions a bit small for the price. Fried Alligator: 4-stars - Well seasoned, and tastes like dark meat chicken except much chewier. Imagine a chicken-calamari like texture. They also had Kangaroo, but I didn't try it. Garlic Corn Cob: 3-stars - Garlic butter was good, but corn was on the small side, with really tiny kernels. Overall, 4-stars for the event! I would recommend going at least once to try it out. I think the volunteers and event organizer did a good job of herding folks, and they do have lots of food options and entertainment.

I haven't been here in a few years and it has definitely gone to crap. Now the cost is $20 to get in which is beyond ridiculous. It used to be free like 20 years ago. Probably about five years ago is when they put in new housing structures behind the park, before that, people would get to park for free. But now they charge people $10 to park near Christopher high school and bus them in. I even heard that they tried to charge people $10 for parking even when they parked on sidestreets and walked in. Whoever is in charge of this is definitely money hungry. The combo plates are now $15. The combo plate number one has a half of a pepper steak sandwich, some calamari, garlic bread, and Pesto pasta. The pepper steak sandwiches have definitely shrunk, the bread used to be 1.5" wider on Colombo style rolls. Now they are tiny and they completely jip you on the feeling half of my half a sandwich was just bread, so I had maybe 1 oz of meat. It only came with 4 pieces of calamari, 2 small pieces of garlic bread and about a cup of pesto pasta. The calamari or scampi is eight dollars for about four pieces so it's two dollars per tiny piece. The new shrimp that they had was lightly fried with garlic on top and it wasn't very good for $10 for about five or six pieces. I got the kangaroo at the one booth that had exotic meats. I was expecting to get a decent size for $5 but I guess I was expecting too much. It was probably about a half an ounce of meat total on a little stick and it was mostly gristle/fat. I would have to say that the only thing good at the garlic festival was that Home Depot had a free kids booth letting them choose from a variety of things to make for free. Also you can never go wrong with fruit friz.

This was my second time attending the Gilroy Garlic Festival and probably my last. I went in 2015 and had a blast with my boyfriend, so this time I came with a group of around 12 friends. Prepared for it to be HOT. I recommend having at least 2 water bottles per person. Don't forget to reapply sunblock too. I usually don't put on sunblock around my eyes to prevent chemical burn from the sunblock in my eyes, but I actually got sunburn around my eyes like a PANDA cuz the sun was so powerful. It's dusty too so make sure you're okay with getting your toes dusty or wear closed toed shoes. What's shitty is that it's $18/person online ($20/person in you buy at the door) and then $10/per car. What irked me is that we paid for parking and no one even checked that we paid or to see our receipt on our way out! So we wasted that $10.. Their beer selection isn't too wide. But they did have 2 free Canadian whiskey samples which was cool! Here's what we tried: Garlic Fries $6 - 5/5 Delicious and very garlicky, highly recommend! Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms $5 - 5/5 ONE OF MY FAVS! Probably because it had garlic AND cheese. But there were only 5 pieces :( Deep Fried Calamari $8 - 2/5 I wouldn't order it again. Too rubbery for my liking, and the portion is disappointingly small. Garlic Shrimp $8 - AWESOME 4/5 Lightly fried and crispy. Texture heaven. Combo Plate #1 $15 - 1/5 The pasta was DISAPPOINTING. I can make better garlic noodle pasta than that! It was so shitty I'm thinking about opening my own Garlic Festival booth next year with some GARLIC NOODLES. The garlic bread was basic 1/5, I can also make better ones at home. The shrimp scampi/curry item was pretty good! Flavorful and served hot and tasted fresh 3.5/5. I didn't get a chance to get a bite of the sandwich/hotdog but must've been good if that's the case. Mushrooms 4/5 pretty tasty, but could've been more garlicky. Chocolate covered banana with peanuts $4 - 5/5 This was so refreshing! They actually cover it with chocolate and pat the peanuts on in front of you which is awesome. And it is REAL DARK CHOCOLATE not that fake almond bark stuff. So that was satisfying. Garlic Ice Cream FREE - 1/5 Disgusting and weirdly spicy, but I ate it all anyways lol. I remember it tasting more like vanilla ice cream in 2015... We stayed at the festival for around 3-4 hours and didn't get to check out all the booths. There's a lot to see, but not enough food. I wish there was GARLIC NOODLES, boiling crab type seafood, and so many other choices they COULD'VE had! So sad :( I had a good time, but I'm probably never gonna come back. I would only recommend coming to this fair just once considering the steep per person price, and then the high prices inside.

Hot, sweaty, garlicky, fun - this is how I'd describe our day at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Can't remember last time we were here - maybe 10+ yrs ago & left there thinking, meh. But when presented w/ the thought of giving it another try this yr, said why not. We had NO IDEA it had become such a big event & they totally have the routine down pat..... left there this yr super-impressed! Nice large parking area - for FREE! Lots of high schools & other groups providing lots of volunteers & most of the proceeds from this festival go to helping lots of different charities - again, impressive! Huge air-conditioned buses to take you down to the festival & the grounds are broken up into 2 sections that basically mirror each other w/ the same food stands, bouncy houses, rock climbing towers, & area for crafts / retail. But pays to visit both areas for sure, just to make sure you've taken it all in! Really liked the planners installing all the shaded tents, misting tents & tree-grove for people to get a break from the heat - 'cause man oh man was it hot! But come on, it's Gilroy at the end of July - what'd you expect! There ain't no marine-layer! Best advice - bring LOTS of sunblock & definitely bring a hat! But even bringing my own, I couldn't resist purchasing a fun straw hat w/ flowers along the brim - 'cause after all, everyone needs another hat! Other retail tents had jewelry, tshirts made out of plastic (!), glass, henna tattoos & the list goes on & on There are also fun bands scatterred throughout the festival grounds so you're bound to find a tune you like....sit a spell & dance a little! And if that weren't enough, there are cooking demonstrations w/ garlic ( of course ) For the delish treats? We found lots for the veggies - we enjoyed cheese pupusas; beer-battered fries; sweet potato fries; stuffed mushrooms, artichoke, chocolates & all different flavors of ice cream......and ALL w/ garlic! Liked the Garlic-Almond ice cream the best....but special shout-out to those garlic sweet potato fries - wow were they delish w/ the nice mix of sweet & spice-kick For the meat-eaters, there were all sorts of treats like the Big Turkey Leg, Italian, Seafood, Greek, Mexican, Cajun & whatnot We arrived around 11:30am & before we knew it, 4 hrs had flown by. Lines may have been long but they moved quickly & all the vendors on Gourmet Alley took credit cards. And for those complaining about the lines - you apparently do not go to festivals.....lines & crowds are a given! Scored some fantastic garlic mustards & sauces to take home w/ us & would definitely make this fun day out a repeat event!

There is no such place as Hell, but by the definition given in folklore and some religious tradition that describes what Hell is like, the resemblance to the Gilroy Garlic Festival is uncanny. Starting with the drive from Oakland to Gilroy was like eternal, endless torture. It wasn't just the distance but the stop and go traffic all the way there. Upon arriving to Gilroy, I started to have a feeling of relief and of calming my soul, but the torture continues into the the parking lot from Hell. Finally parked, as I opened my car door the heat and dust hit me like a freight train. Then I was guided to buses that take everyone to the Festival. To add insult to injury there is a $15 entrance fee to enter. Walking in, all I saw around me were lines. Lines, I tell you! Fiery and painful waits. All the damned souls suffering in lines with no sign of shade for a small amount of over priced food drenched in garlic waiting to seep thorough the pores of their skin and breathe to torture everyone around them. One positive note is three items I did enjoy was a Garlic Steak Sandwich, garlic bread, and buffalo wings. But other items we ordered like the Wok noodles and garlic mushrooms reminded me of how dusty and sticky I felt, making me wish I never came. So if I ever get mad at you and tell you to "Go to Hell!" I don't mean some place of eternal torment but actually it just means go to Gilroy. More specifically the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT, THEN WHY ARE YOU GOING TO AN OUTDOOR FESTIVAL IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER???? Get a GRIP , WHINERS!!! Moving on... First timer from LA here...LOVED IT. I wanted to laugh when I was told "We better leave early, we don't want to get stuck in traffic!" Pfffffttttt. Really? Yeah, well. There was traffic. Traffic was there, yes. Was it the worst? NO. Overall it went smoothly even though there was a steady flow of traffic once we exited the freeway. We parked (FREE PARKING!!!!) in the yellow lot. We spotted a few water tank trucks spraying the field where we parked. We boarded a nice air conditioned bus and voila! We were at the entrance. We stopped at the porta-potties before they got hot and swampy and atrocious. I believe they were the nicest porta-potties I'd ever stepped foot in. They even had a mirror. Sweet high school age girls greated us at the entrance, selling programs for $1 (I wanted to faint...$1??? Can't beat that!) We had pre-paid tickets so we cruised right in. Right at the entrance they were handing out cups of free water (FREE WATER! This just keeps getting better!!) Then we proceeded along a long line of free samples. We sampled: shots of balsamic vinegar, McDonald's smoothie, yokult probiotic, quinoa salad and kale salad, and hawaiian bread. We bought a lottery ticket and got to spin for more free tickets. By the time were done sampling, we were actually feeling full! Walked in, walked around. Lots of garlic infused creations that were simple and mouth watering. I was half-expecting some crazy assed concoction made out of garlic but everything was basically made with garlic flavoring or garnish. We tried the Crab Garlic Fries and they were so good!!! I bought my son a water mister from Mister Misters. It was $13 and they gave us a refill card good for up to 3 free refills. My son used 2 of them up. He loved misting himself and strangers would even ask him to mist them! He loved that part too. It was a lot of fun checking out the local vendors wares. There was a little of everything, but mostly jewelry and clothes. I liked the variety of vendors. Being from Los Angeles, I'm so over the LA and OC County Fairs. Same things every year. This festival was something new and refreshing. Maybe that's why my review isn't as jaded as the others! Was it hot? HECK yes. It was hot, a little dusty, and very crowded. It was crowded...because people like the Gilroy Garlic Festival!!! I did too. TIPS: - bring sunscreen (unless you like getting sunburnt) and PLEASE reapply every hour. -water isn't TOO expensive, but it's not cheap either! $3 a bottle..but it's ICE cold ;) so if the price bothers you please bring your own bottle. -bring a hat/sunglasses -most of all, leave your intolerance for crowds, dust, and heat at home. Bring your sense of fun and adventure. Maybe some Tums too. Kidding! There's so much more to add to this review, but instead of ruining the fun , just go check it out when it rolls through. I had a great time and I hope to come back again!

Unlike my previous review of Garden Grove's Strawberry Festival where the Strawberry was MIA, the Garlic in the Gilroy Garlic Festival is front and center prevalent. Heck, you smell the garlic miles away as you get close to Gilroy. We've been to less than a dozen Garlic Festivals over the years and even though it's hot as hell in Gilroy, it's always a fun time....even though it's HELLA hot. Did I mention it was scorching hot? For a festival this size, they are very well organized and we are impressed with the parking. There's plenty of sign to guide you to the parking place and once you park, there are volunteers guiding you to your next step. The buses are plentiful and air-conditioned because it's HELLA hot in Gilroy. I did mention that it was hot, right? The drivers even tell you your location and once they drop you off the gate, they remind you of their pick-up location and all other kinds of useful information. We purchased our tickets on-line and that saved us a few extra bucks and the convenience of not waiting in line to purchase them at the gate. We purchased the combo meal at $2.00 discount each ticket. The meals were OK, but it's enough to satiate ones craving. They even give out FREE Garlic Ice Cream and the line is HELLA long for that one. Hey, it's worth getting in line for. Besides, there's two lines and people don't seem to pay attention to it so we took full advantage by getting in line over and over until we got our fill of Garlic Ice Cream. Funny thing was when we were leaving, I was telling the folks in the other line that there were two lines and they looked at me like I was crazy. Whatever! So they have all kinds of food booths that are not lacking in Garlic and if you haven't had your fill of Garlic Ice Cream, you can purchase some more Garlic-flavored ones like Pistachio, Vanilla, Almonds etc.. and you can get them served in a cantaloupe. They even have Gator, Kangaroo, Buffalo, Wild Boar and Frog Legs. I remember them selling Rattle Snakes before, but it wasn't on the menu this time around. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the Garlic Fries. Make sure you get em. We don't go every year, but it's always a fun time when we go. Besides, the only other reason to visit Gilroy is to hit the Outlets after.

It just isn't summer without hitting up Gilroy's famous Garlic Fest. Yeah there are other food fests in Cali (seriously, check it out: http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/californiamenu/a/festivals.htm) but there's something special about garlic: it adds flavor to so much food and even wards off vampires. Awesome. The plan was to go there when they first opened, eat all things garlic, and then maybe hit the outlets. But the perfect storm hit. It was the last day of the festival, it was the 30th anniversary, and it was every other stay-cationers' destination. Unlike other years, this Sunday was crazy busy. But we did endeavored and braved the sea of humanity to somehow still sampled an array of garlic stands: garlic fries, garlic bread, garlic chicken, garlic ice cream, garlic wine, roasted garlic cloves cover in minced garlic and sprinkled with a little garlic salt . . . you get the point. I cannot get over how much food we ate. Usually I'm not all that hungry when it's hot outside but something happens to me during the Garlic Fest. I become this undaunted eating machine. Two days later I still reek of garlic. Next year, I'm going to the Asparagus Festival instead. Does asparagus have a smell? On second thought that festival might not be a good idea.

Had a grand time on last years festival. Wasn't bothered of the heat and other complaints from other people...it is a summer festival for crying out loud! (yah whimps! LOL) Everywhere was food galore highlighting the focal ingredient..GARLIC. Tips when going there: - buy tickets online: Less waiting (they have a separate line that lets you go in fast) plus you get a discount on the food at Gourmet Alley. - find the garlic ice cream booth - FREE ice cream every time you line up... seriously - bring water... lots of it. - bring a water spray to avoid heat stroke...it is dang hot! (there are cool off tents that spray water - you'll just have to find it) - go around, enjoy the music, enjoy the festivities... - foodies can watch the iron chef competition within participating universities.. so cool and you get to take pics of their creations! - wear appropriate clothing and comfy shoes.

I love food and I love garlic. However, I'm always on the fence about food festivals. They're always crowded, usually unorganized, and always coincide with unbearably hot weather. However, since the Gilroy Garlic Festival has been held for over three decades, since 1979, the organizer (Gilroy Garlic Festival Association) definitely has this event planned out in an orderly manner. The most annoying aspect of the festival was entering the dirt parking lot, as traffic was very slow. If arriving before noon, you'll spend a good half hour in line leading up to the parking lot, but once inside, everything else should run smoothly. FYI, don't wash your car before coming here; it'll look like you just came back from weekend camping after you leave the festival. Wear comfortable shoes that you don't mind getting dirty. And I mean REALLY dirty. My black canvas sneakers were a dark poop-brown as I left the festival. Bring your own water bottle, since a bottle here will set you back $3. However, there is one station near the front entrance that offers free cups of water with refills. The Gourmet Alley's combo plates (two options) can be easily split between two people. We shared option #1, which had garlic bread, pesto pasta, calamari, and half a pepper steak sandwich. I thought the garlic bread was the best, but the pesto pasta too heavy and rich. Overall, a good deal for $15. Smaller bites, ranging from $5-10, include garlic fries, garlic ice cream, garlic-flavored shaved ice, and quenching garlic-less fruit smoothies. Aside from food, there are cooking demonstrations, live music, arts and crafts areas, and vendors selling miscellaneous items, such as mugs, paintings, and other household goods. To save time, buy tickets online in advance. You'll save $2 off the already expensive admission price of $20 (as of 2014). And on top of that, you pay for the food too! But besides delicious food and the been there, done that experience, the next best thing from the Gilroy Garlic Festival is being mosquito repellant for the next 24 hours.

Hot summer day and they are charging you 5 dollars for water! Just no. And there are no water fountains anywhere which then you are forced to buy that 5 dollar average size bottle or faint. You get a measly 2oz of water when you leave the place which they probably think is a generous amount. There are no water fountains in sight. This isn't their first garlic festival yet they think it's ok to charge an exorbitant amount of money for a life necessity! Shaded seating is sparse compared to the size of the crowed. Shuttle lines are long. And people fainting in front of you in 109 degree heat (weather app says 94 but my car says 109). Not kidding about people fainting. My sisters told me 2 people fainted in front of them while waiting for the shuttle back to their car. They parked in a different lot than me since I came later. Silver lining? Food was good. We came. We ate. And then we left. Yeah a bit of a waste but the heat and no water made us leave. I guess it's worth it to go once if you love garlic, but I don't recommend going unless you love the heat and come with a lot of water.

My first visit to the famous Gilroy Garlic festival, and it was quite an experience. There is a reason thousands of people flock here, despite the high entry ticket prices. Be prepared for a lot of traffic from at least 10-15 miles before the actual event venue. Besides the $20 per person entry ticket, there is also a $10 per car parking fee. So, do try to carpool if possible. It was excessively hot and dusty today, and will be so tomorrow. So, don't forget the spf, wear covered shoes so that your feet don't get all dusty and dirty, and make sure you stay hydrated (bring your water or buy water, lemonade, iced tea or boba tea from the numerous overpriced food vendors at the festival). From the parking lot, you will be directed to shuttles that will take you to the main venue. They've co-ordinated the shuttles well and most likely, you won't have to wait long for a shuttle. Tons and tons of food and beverage vendors await you at the festival grounds. We had tickets for combo platters at the Gourmet Alley, so we decided to go there first before purchasing food from other stalls. The food was delicious, and there were two combos to choose from - peppersteak sandwich, calamari, pesto pasta, garlic bread, or, sausage sandwich, garlic mushrooms, shrimp scampi, garlic bread. However, no substitution was allowed. For those who prefer their garlic with some alcohol, the festival won't disappoint. I noticed beer, wine, margarita, sangria, mimosas and more. We washed down all the garlicky food with more garlic in the form of garlic icecream - it was actually delicious. It was also free and thus was bite sized and involved a huge line. The other food stalls that were not free also had pretty long lines though - most of the food at the festival was consistently delicious but expensive. The activities at the childrens' play area followed similar trends and were pretty expensive too (read $25 for a half face paint). Overall, I had a good time amidst lots of good food and thousands of fellow garlic lovers. I just wish entrance, parking, food, beverages, etc. wouldn't be so expensive. I've heard that the ticket prices have been increasing every year, and though everything was very well managed and co-ordinated, this is indeed a hefty entrance fee, considering the fact that it does not include any free food or even parking.

This was my mom and I's first Garlic Festival, so we were excited to see what all the commotion was about. We got our tickets and headed to the festival for Sunday, which was a decently warm day in Gilroy. Loved the idea of being shuttled to the festival in spacious and air conditioned shuttles and were greeted by tons of booths giving out free samples from: McDonald's, SunSolar, Yakult, King's Hawaiian Bread as well as olive oil and balsamic vinegar tastings. We made way to the food and tried the: Calamari Kettle Corn Roasted Corn with Garlic & Herb Butter Garlic Fries Layered smoothie Garlic Ice Cream Everything tasted pretty good minus the Calamari, I still prefer the deep fried ones. Heck, we even enjoyed the Garlic Ice cream that spiciness that comes with the aftertaste is awesome! The layered smoothie we shared saved us from the heat. The foods range from $4 and up, with good portions so go ahead and share so you can have a good tasting of everything! The venue was big, there were lines for food but weren't too bad. Lots of room to cool down eat, shop for merchandise and live music. The heat wasn't bad either, so we were happy about that! I don't think you can really complain about the heat, since that's not in any of our control- plus it is Gilroy. The traffic was a bit bad coming from San Jose, which took an hour to get there at 10:30 in the morning, but leaving was quick. Can't wait to come back next year! P.S. The garlic breath you'll have post Garlic festival is strong.

Being a foodie who loves garlic, I was really excited to go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival this weekend. I guess I expected more, but some parts were great. It was really hot, the wine coolers were very refreshing and great. No big deal here, just white wine and juice with lots of ice in a big cup - but very good. I also had a wine margarita, which was good but in a tiny cup and was not strong. I wanted to try everything garlic, but the lines for the free garlic ice cream were out of control. Someone said that it tasted like Vanilla Ice cream with Garlic Powder on top, sounds yucky. My favorite thing was the Garlic Kettle Corn, I blame this for making me smell like Garlic ALL day. Enough to keep away the vampires. I also tried the Garlic Sausage and the Garlic Shrimp Scampi - both items were around $6 to 7.00 and such a small amount for the price. The Shrimp Scampi was good though, the Garlic Sausage was just ok. Overall I had a good time, the record heat was slightly unbearable but it was nice to get out of the city and do something new.

Eff the OC Fair, this is what it's all about. An entire festival dedicated to Garlic. For $15 we gained access, and parking. We were ushered in by very helpful people who showed us exactly where to park. After parking, we walked through a couple rows of cars, where a big bus was waiting to take us to the festival. Very organized system they have here! The bus drops you off right at the entrance. We had gotten our tickets online so we breezed right through the line. We jammed on by all the advertiser booths at the front and made out way to the first section of the festival, which is mostly vendors, with some food options. We kicked off the morning with some wine mixers - for me, white wine and lemonade, for my friend, red wine and Sierra Mist. It's really the breakfast of champions, as far as i'm concerned. Looked at all the vendor booths, some people had some cute stuff. Headed over to the second section of the festival, where we decided to have our pictures taken with a bunch of garlic and have them turned into magnets. Awesome. Then we hit the food. All very reasonably priced! We had garlic marinated mushrooms, a garlic sausage dog, garlic bread and shrimp scampi. All of the food was great, and we didn't spend more than $20 for all of it. After eating we checked out a few more vendors, then left. We were here about two hours, and it was a great time. I would definitely make the trek up here again to go another time.

Get here early!!! Most of the complaints you see are pretty on point. Long lines, parking is a pain, melting in the sun. Now, you can avoid most of those problems if you get there when it opens. Parking is easier, shorter lines for transportation, entry, and food. The sun hasn't hit its peak. Not crowded. We got there right when it opened and the longest line we sat in was for entry. We didnt wait in any lines for food but even though there were few people at the beer station for some reason they are just as slow as the ballpark or a football game. Seating was limited even when you're early. Food was good but our sandwiches were a bit stale/cold. They anticipate a lot of people so for efficiency purposes they precook and bag a lot of stuff. This is a downside to getting there early. Ask for something more fresh. We walked around and explored with very little crowding. We were there for about two hours before the sun started to heat up and the crowds started pouring in. By the time we got back to the car, the parking "fields" were a madhouse and littered with people. If you want to enjoy this place get their early or you will be as miserable as everyone who left a negative review before I did.