After a heart-wrenching hiatus following a tragic mass shooting in 2019, the legendary Gilroy Garlic Festival is making its triumphant return this July, proving that not even gun violence can crush the spirit of Bay Area food culture.

A Festival Reborn

From July 25-27, garlic enthusiasts will converge at Gilroy Gardens theme park to celebrate the stinkiest, most delicious crop in California history. The festival, which previously drew around 100,000 attendees, will now host a more intimate gathering of 3,000 ticket-holders per day - a bittersweet compromise that prioritizes community healing and safety.

More Than Just A Food Festival

This isn’t just about consuming ungodly amounts of garlic-infused everything (though let’s be real, that’s a major draw). The festival represents resilience, a community’s ability to transform tragedy into celebration. Local businesses like the Gilroy Garlic Shoppe are ready to showcase their 40+ garlic products, including the legendary garlic ice cream that somehow manages to be both bizarre and delicious.

Remembering Why We Fight

Behind the festivities lies a poignant memorial to the lives lost in 2019 - Stephen Romero, Keyla Salazar, and Trevor Irby. Their memory fuels the community’s determination to reclaim joy, one garlic-laden bite at a time. As festival organizer Mark Jacobsen puts it, it’s about bringing back “all that garlicky goodness”.