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Gilroy Garlic Festival, July 25-27

IrishCream

By IrishCream
in California: Dining

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IrishCream

IrishCream

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The festival is this coming weekend. I am a garlic fanatic and have been dreaming about attending for years. Finally, I live here (again) and can! But I have been warned the crowds are abysmal. I tried to stop by the Asparagus Festival in Stockton a few months ago and gave up cuz the traffic for parking was backed up for a half mile on the Interstate.

So those of you have been to the Garlic Festival: Is it worth the crowds? Is the garlic food wonderful? What is the best food? (In other words what booth should I head for?) I am planning on Friday afternoon. Thanks for any advice!

Lobster.

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marie-louise

marie-louise

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It is fun to see once, but IMO, it's not worth the crowds. Even if it wasn't crowded, it is certainly not worth tolerating the heat. I went about 20 years ago, so can't recommend any booths. I think it is supposed to be cool this weekend, so it might be as good a year to go as any.

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cmvnapa

cmvnapa

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When I first met the man who is now my spouse, we went to the festival (he's from a town near Gilroy) 9 years ago and for a few years after that. I'd recommend that you go on Friday, not on the weekend, and get there when it opens. It's in a hot, dusty bowl of a place. There are several stages for music and several beer arenas. And the food is glorious. At one point, I had garlic essence oozing from my pores and felt a burn all the way down my esophagus, this after sampling about 5-6 different garlicky dishes.

The garlic ice cream was interesting. And there's usually some enormous grill action going on. There's also a place where you can get an apricot smoothie which helps with the burn, they give away some kind of breath product, and seek out the misting tent, if it's hot.

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Pan

Pan

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I thought it was worth going to once. The crowds weren't off-putting at all. Then again, it's worth knowing that I'm a New Yorker and, thus, have a different perspective on what constitutes a crushing multitude than someone from a smaller town or city.

The most I'll say about the garlic ice cream is that it was surprisingly acceptable to try once. The garlic-fortified wine was intolerable and my brother and I spat it out. But there was a decent amount of food cooked with garlicky sauces of various types that was quite all right for festival food and which I wouldn't hesitate to call good and tasty to a less demanding bunch than eGulleteers whose frame of reference may be Michelin 3-stars, the French Laundry, etc.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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  • 10 months later...
fifi

fifi

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Are any of you guys going this year?

I have always wanted to go but have never been able to swing it. I would love to attend vicariously... with pictures of course. :wink:

This year's link.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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andiesenji

andiesenji

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I used to go every year, always on Friday. I was showing dogs then and had a motorhome. The Santa Barbara shows were on the prior weekend Saturday through Monday in Buellton and I would stay with friends in Paso Robles on Tuesday and Wednesday and drive to Gilroy on Thursday, spend all day Friday at the festival and drive on to Livermore for that weekends shows. Needless to say everyone knew I had been at the festival.

One year, while I was having photos taken of a win with one of my dogs, the judge remarked that when he walked up to examine my dog for the first time the aroma took him back to his first trip to France and his introduction to aioli. The dogs never complained...........

I haven't been in recent years because it is difficult for me to walk around for more than a few minutes but I certainly enjoyed every time I did go.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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kellycolorado

kellycolorado

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I was going to post that we will definitely be there since we are back in California and my husband is a garlic fanatic.... but I just realized we are out of town that weekend visiting family. :shock:

If you go I recommend going early because it's so hot and Friday would be better for the crowds (although that part didn't bother me -- it was the heat and dust). The garlic ice cream came off as vanilla for a second, then whoa, there's garlic. Interesting to try *once*.

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IrishCream

IrishCream

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I have wanted to go for years and am really thinking about it this year...but its a ling drive from L.A. and with 2 kids...I dont know, but then again I LOVE garlic so much!

Well, Chris, if you decide to go let us know and we will meet up with you there. I think it is worth going to at least once.

But basically it's the same old festival food with a garlic accent...garlic fries, garlic nachos, garlic tacos, garlic sausage. And the venue is hot and sandy. You have to really love festivals. It is NOT the New Orleans Jazz Festival which has the best festival food ever. :cool:

Lobster.

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