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Gilroy Garlic Festival
Rating Details »
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201 reviews for Gilroy Garlic Festival
Maybe its because it was scorching hot outside but I just had an OK experience here.
First, I was not happy with the freaking hike we had to go through just to get to the entrance. You really had to go through some nature to get down there. Second, by the time I got down there, we had to wait outside in a long ass line to get in for like 1984723 hours.
Things were pretty cool I guess. A little pricey but what festival isn't? I didn't really like the grass though. One REAL big downside of the whole festival was that they were running out of food. People were waiting in line forever and right when they got to me they'll be like, "ohhhh sorry! no more!!!" FML.
Anyways, so I didn't really get to eat much because they were running out of food. So instead, I asked for 4 free garlic ice cream to get my money's worth at the festival. It was worth it. I thought it'd be gross but I ended up loving it.
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I must say that this year parking was a breeze...we actually parked blocks away from the entrance to the festival. Now the rough part was walkin in the heat, even though it was only a few blocks.
Now upon entering the festival we first searched for a booth selling water because of course it was a scorcher out there.
Please keep in mind folks that you should always wear sunblock when going to this festival, bring or drink plenty of water because it is very hot out there and you do not want to become dehydrated.
Now lets get to all the wonderful foods I saw.....OMG, I done even remember them all but they looked so yummy, unfortunately I was starving after that drive from San Jose so I had to eat breakfast before we got to the festival, but next year i'm making sure I eat something there becuase people were huddled in the little bits of shade stuffing their faces making the food look so so yummers.
Let me not forget to mention the fact that they always have Garlic flavored ice cream which really aint that bad.
We finally found a man that was selling umbrellas for only $5, so I grabbed that while we did more walking around and found a nice set of bleachers where we could enjoy the music from a live band. I really loved the band becuase they played a GREAT Tribute to Journey.....matter of a fact the lead singer sounded just like Arnel Pineda, all I had to do was close my eyes and imagine.
I mean seriously though I love this event, it will definatly be something I bring my kids to someday.
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How can you go to a garlic festival that has bad garlic items? It's like their requirement was to just cook something and throw garlic in it? I was so sad to have wasted my saturday driving two hours to eat $70 dollars worth of stuff just to make sure that I wasn't just giving one item a try. Try me, I tried mostly everything garlic, and the things that were good weren't garlic related!!! wtf!!!!
All I have to say is if you are not from gilroy, don't go. Save your time, and money and go to any nice restaurant with shrimp scampi and have a great day. As for the festivities that are worth while at the festival, Fabio was totally cool. Yeah I totally did the whole are you fabio from top chef gig.. hahah
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Gilroy Garlic Festival 2009
Pros: Fabio from Top Chef as the MC - hilarious, friendly parking lot workers, well organized parking situation
Cons: crazy hot weather, lack of shade, not enough places to sit and relax, dust everywhere - even in your food, way expensive when you add it all up, so-so food, commercialized atmosphere, traffic
I went to this same festival 10 years ago. It was enjoyable and cute back then.
Now this festival has gotten far too big for it's own good. Lost it's charm. All the festival goers looked exhausted and pissed.
Ditto the tips on drinking lots of water, reapplying sunblock, and bringing hats & umbrellas.
*I did finally hunt down the free mini cone of garlic ice cream. They should serve a yummier version of it in the future - maybe use the newer frozen yogurt machines?
I'm not sure about everyone else but it was my first time here. What a better way to spend it then with my little siblings. Not so little anymore but let's just say it was a good "STANK'IN" time.
Okay so we got there and decided let's part 3 blocks away from the whole event and walk. Good thing we did because I help my working out of the food just fine.
First thing on the menu - MONEY because the admission took the majority of my food cash ($12.00 x 5) = out of cash. Lucky they have ATMs. So here's the menu:
Garlic Ice Cream with cantelope ($4.75) - not bad thought it was going to have bits of garlic in it but it seems like they used a powered base and there it was mixed in with the ice cream giving it the garlic taste.
3 Turkey Legs ($6/ea) = good smoked and there was nothing left that's all I have to say.
1 dish of ribs ($7) = Very good - fall of the bone good.
1 "One of a kind - NY Stuffed Chicken Garlic Pesto Pizza ($7) - Just took it out of the oven and it was spanking good! Garlic cloves were just so tender that it made my breathe reeked for quite some time. The next morning I could still smell it.
1 Marinated Mushroom - not so good you can taste the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette all over that baby - where's the garlic flavor none!
1 Garlic Fries - just tasty and fumigated with garlic. Smelt good and tasted even better.
Draw back - $3 for a 20oz bottle of Aquafina - lame! Bring you own water people.
Overall 4 stars wouldn't mind coming again. A lots of things for the kids and adults to do and enjoy.
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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.
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3 words: Fried Green Tomatoes!!!
I came to GFest this year on Friday afternoon. It was nowhere as crowded as it can get on Saturday and there wasn't any traffic at all. Best of all, they had a new food item! Fried Green Tomatoes y'all!! It was the best thing I ate! The Garlic Bread at Gourmet Alley is probably the cheapest food item you can buy here. $2.50 for 4 pieces and it's actually good! I also got a cool GFest beer tin cup for $6! I always have a really fun time whenever I come to Gfest! But prepare to sweat and be gassy all day long!!
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/30/2008
I love all things garlic so coming to the Gilroy Garlic Festival was a given. It's always hot,… Read more »
I see there a lot unhappy reviews about the Garlic Festival, but I want to say something positive about it because even though there were some factors that can be annoying, like long lines and lots of people. However, Its still a unique experience and I definitely recommend at least going there once.
If you are a garlic fan and have not gone, then you are missing out! Some of my favorites are the fried garlic and the cherry garlic ice cream.
Here's what I recommend to make your experience more enjoyable.
1. Get there when they open between 10AM-11AM.
2. Start eating right when you get there because the lines are short.
3. Bring sunscreen & a hat.
4. Try the fried garlic and garlic fried green tomatoes...oh and the ice cream. (I'm a vegetarian so I can't vouch for the meat, but there is lots of it).
5. Plan ahead, look at the schedule and see what's going on each day.
6. Wear closed toe shoes.
7. Try the samples of garlic & sauces in the commercial area.
8. Drink lots of water.
9. leave before it gets too busy.
10. Have fun!
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What more can you say about a festival? They're all basically the same with the similar prices and crazy people willing to pay for it.
I always go for the calamari with key lime dipping sauce. YUM.
So bring some cash, friends and your hunger. A very well organized festivity. Don't forget the hat and sunblock either. You can bring water, buy water or get some free poured in a cup for you.
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Garlic, oh how I love you.
My car was disgusting when I left the festival and my shoes were covered in dust, but I was nice and full.
I had the garlic fries (The first place you see when you come in) and those were pretty good, but not the best I've ever had.
We also got the calamari which also didn't stand out.
Butter Pecan GARLIC Ice cream: Wasted a couple dollars on this. It tasted like Butter Pecan ice cream until I felt the burning sensation of spicy garlic in my mouth, then I threw it away.
BBQ: My bf and his friend thought this was the best bbq they've ever had!! Or very close to the best! They had the ribs and the links casue they were still cooking the chicken and even though they were really full, they finished the whole combo plate! That was the highlight and there wasn't even any garlic in that!
I think this is "if you go once, you've gone" kind of place. I don't think I really need to go back. The traffic there was horrendous, took us 45min to an hour just to exit the freeway and take this weird road to the parking lot.
Garlic kettle corn: It was good until it got too spicy. Should've gotten the regular one.
First off - to the people that wrote one star reviews and haven't been in years......you really have no right to give your opinion on something you havent been to in 5 years, just sayin.
For those of us who actually went:
It has been about five years since i last visited the great garlic festival to the south and here is my survival guide - and trust me this is coming from a 9 month pregnant lady, if I can do it so can you.
1. come early - as in plan to get there when the gates open. I even suggest you come on Friday as soon as it opens - that makes life so happy
2. if you cant get your husband to get his show on the road in time and you end up leaving around 11 am - get off of 101 and take Monterey Rd and then cut over to the lines of festival traffic - or cut through Gilroy - traffic is gonna suck cause it is a one lane road in and out
3. once you are in, parking is free and easy and they have charter bus shuttles to take your fat ass to the front of the festival - which was well run and awesome!
4. yes - i think the entrance fee is overpriced at 12 a head for adults - however this whole thing is to raise money for the city to give out to numerous charities and in this tight budget year, charities need all the help they can get
5. bring a hat, sunscreen and a fold up chair. Cause well, it gets hot, your head will burn as will your body and when you actually find some shade where you want to sit you will have to plop yourself on the ground cause there will be nowhere to sit......
6. gourmet alley is okay - garlic bread was delicious, mushrooms and calamari- eh, overpriced and not that great
7. venture around to the other food sections past gourmet alley and in the front of the festival - the calamari at the back of the event was great, the 7.00 sangria was nice and big and a far better value for my husband than beer
8. avoid - yeah I know you are like me: kangaroo, gator and frog legs? im in and I need them....no you dont and not for 5.00 a pop. seriously, 2 damn legs for 5.00? rip off. Gator was good and had a decent amount of meat. Kangaroo (and I know roo I have had it a few times before) was overcooked and dinky - rip off.
9. should have eaten list: crab garlic fries, crawdads and BBQ oysters
10. dont complain about not getting garlic ice cream, they were handing it out for free in the back and it sucks, wether you pay for it or not
Overall: I can do this again in about 5 years.....
And to those garlic haters - this is a friggin festival people, there is always going to be food that is not garlic related and arts and crafts non garlic related. If you want garlic go to the "Garlic Mercantile" you will never guess what they sell in that big tent....
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That time of year next weekend
Glad to see many including myself agree this is definitely a one time thing. Haven't been here since 2002 and even with free tickets don't plan on returning. Even thought I'm very close by and I love Garlic!
Checklist:
Overpriced
Scorching hot weather
Wind and dust
Garlic ice cream (one of the positives)
Traffic and really bad parking
Drunk people (sometimes this is good)
Bad greasy food and warm beer
Burnout cover bands
If you have tattoo's plan on a strip search by the cops
Rip off since 1979
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I have been wanting to go this festival for awhile now. I am an avid garlic lover and I am so happy I finally made the journey to Gilroy. I was a little concerned about what people were saying in their reviews, but my experience was great and I have no complaints.
**Here are some tips to make your trip to the festival a success**
1)Get to Gilroy the night before and stay in a hotel if you can afford to because it eliminates the morning madness.
2)Go to the festival when it opens, which is at 10 am. We got there a little after 10 and there was plenty of parking so we didn't have to park in the over flow lots and take a shuttle; we were close enough to walk.
3)Hit up the most popular vendors first before the lines get too long.
4)Wear a hat and sunscreen. We were lucky because it wasn't too hot.
5)Go with an empty stomach and be prepared to deal with the garlic come down later, lol.
6)Drinks lots of water.
On to food mmmm ....my favorite was the fried garlic cloves, garlic corn, fried green tomatoes with garlic, fried mushrooms and garlic, cherry garlic ice cream(a must) and since you will be so full after all that grab some garlic kettle corn for the ride home you won't regret it.
I loaded up on as much garlic as my stomach could hold and I am a happy camper. I can't wait to go back next year!
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I love all kinds of food festivals!! This was my first time at the gilroy garlic festival, and it definitely was INTENSE.
Pros:
- Garlic stuffed mushrooms
- Garlic kettle corn!
- Tents for shade and free water
Cons:
- The weather was way too hott on sat. A man had to be carried out on a stretcher
- Traffic/waiting to finally get to the parking lot (TERRIBLE)
- Port-o-potties are NASSTTYYYY
Overall, it's definitely worth a trip out here at least once. I may go next yr, depending on how the weather is. I didn't even get to check out half the stuff here because we just couldn't take the heat anymore. With so many people there and wanting to pass out from the heat, it's definitely a little hard to stay for hours. We only lasted one!
IF YOU DO GO, make sure to go EARLY!!!
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I think this is one of these festivals that you should go to once, maybe twice if the weather is good. We arrived Saturday at around 9:30am, and parking and signs were set up. We were able to get on the bus, head over to the festival itself, and walk in well before 10am. Picked up some free goodie bags from the foster farm stand right at the entrance, then we started to scope out the food. Not everything was set up yet, but that made it easier to pace ourselves. I ended up eating or trying:
- kangaroo meat (tastes like beef, but had a ton of tendons, so it was hard to chew through)
- gator tail (tasted like popcorn chicken since they fried it, slightly disappointing)
- crab garlic fries (good, but only in small quantities)
- fried green tomatoes (reminded me of fried eggplant, with a slight tangy-ness)
- sangria ($7 for a 20 oz, not bad, could definitely taste the alcohol)
- free garlic ice cream
- garlic bread (too oily and not crispy enough for me)
- fruit smoothie (refreshing)
- crawfish (yum!)
So while enjoying all that food, we walked around all the retail booths, enjoyed part of the cook off, and also enjoyed the beautiful 85 degree weather (85? unheard of!). For the most part, we were able to avoid most of the lines, except when it got more crowded in the afternoon. Trying all that food was expensive, but again, not bad for a one time thing.
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Wow. Did I go to the same festival as some of these folks?
Because I went somewhere that costs $12 per person to wait in very long lines to buy regular old festival food.
I didn't even see/smell/taste much garlic. Most vendors weren't even garlic themed. It was *extremely disappointing* for garlic loving me and garlic loving boyfriend: both of us had wanted to go for years!
The music was bad, the weather was hot, and the garlic was near-absent. The whole experience was rotten. And expensive.
I wonder if the festival used to be great, and has been declining? Because I'm fine in the heat when it's worth it, but this faux-garlic-festival-money-trap is not worth it.
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3rd time going to the Gilroy Garlic Festival in my life after living in Gilroy since 1997. First time that I actually paid to get in, since the other times I just volunteered to work a couple hours of community service, then just got free food, water, and drink tickets for volunteering...But sheiiit $12 general admission, but yeah, guess that fee pays for the free parking in the big ass dirt lot and the charter buses that bus us over from the parking lot to the entrance and all porta-potties and free stuff they were giving out like water.
But yeah, tried out some chicken, garlic kettle corn free samples (the salted one wasn't as tasty as the unsalted one), alligator, garlic fries, calamari, shrimp, free garlic ice cream (vanilla soft serve with an actual garlic taste to it), $6 beer (I guess the garlic flavored beer is no longer served here in the beer tents or that was just a rumor that never existed), and some apple funnel cake. Food was alright. Noting super special. And overpriced, yes! - Some of the other stuff that I wanted to try, but didn't wanna pay for included the kangaroo, wild boar, crab garlic fries, deep fried beer batter garlic fries, Philly cheese steak sandwiches, pepper steak, garlic steak tacos, sangria, and some of them kabobs with like steak, veggies, stuffed mushrooms and all the works.
Had some decent bands playing, some cook offs to watch, flea market like vendors, carnival games, rock climbing, a wine tasting tent, etc.
Knew a bunch of people that were going, mostly friends from San Jose, but didn't really end up bumping into any of them.
Cool beans to Target for giving out free flavored mouth wash towards the entrance/exit.
Decent way to spend a couple hours of your life on an early afternoon of the last weekend of July if you feel like spending anywhere from $40-$100 on overpriced decent food and drinks.
Oh yeah, and traffic SUCKS if you come here in the afternoon. If you plan on coming here, plan on coming right around 10AM when they first open so that you can not only beat the traffic, but beat the heat to a certain extent too. You'll probably end up leaving around 2PM after lunch time since it only takes around 2-3 hours to walk around and see, eat, and drink what you wanna see and try out.
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Garlic + food = WIN!
I went to the garlic festival for the first time after hearing about all the hype. We came from south San Jose on Saturday afternoon and the traffic was pretty bad from the beginning. But nothing was going to stop me.. Not even the dirty field parking (sorry s2k) or hot weather.
I didnt realize how big the festival was until I saw the parking and the shuttle buses that take you there and back. Got there and was like free parking! Sweet.. until we got to the entrance and there was a $12 admission. =/
i was so excited it didnt matter. We arrived through gate 2 and there was a huge line for garlic fries so i went straight for the Sausage sandwiches. Very tasty, juicy and just the perfect amount of garlic! My second stop was the garlic fries on the other end. I was satisfied with them.. crispy, my fav but could have used a but more garlic. I was pretty let down when I saw that they ran out of CRAB and garlic fries. wow sounds amazing, i will definitely come back for that next year. My third stop was the roasted corn. Very crunchy, sweet, and buttery. Cant go wrong with that! I finished off with some ice cream in a canteloupe. It was soo hot that I had to eat the ice cream really fast before it melted and not to mention so I can get to the canteloupe.
All the food was amazing, not to mention the atmospher, everyone seem to be having fun and enjoying themselves. Although it was hot, cant complain too much about 85 degrees in Gilroy in July. I will definitely come back again next year!
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For all the garlic lovers, this is something you should definitely go to atleast once. Dont walk in with high expectations, come prepared with sunblock, water and napkins, a hat and as little clothing as possible. Girls, dont wear too short of skirts unless you have something to sit on because ass on hay is NOT fun.
The drive to the garlic festival from Emeryville was alright--took some patience and about a hour of our time. I think all cities should take note of how Gilroy handled their traffic. multiple and bright signs EVERYWHERE, a bazillion cones, and traffic cops, and just one way to go. There were also electronic signs that updated with which exit to take off the freeway for the parking lots. If one filled, the name of the exit changed. I arrived at about 2p on saturday, and the drive to the fair grounds and into the parking lot was a breeze. Make sure you roll up your windows before you actually enter onto the dirt ground or be prepared for a dusty interior.
There were about 5 shuttle stops at the parking lot (E), though the line seemed intimidating, just walk a little further and check out the other lines. The shuttles were pretty frequent.
The downside of arriving so late was that they ran out of the crab garlic fries! Well, they still had the sauce that had a little crab in it, but none to sprinkle on top of that. We still got it and it was a dollar off. I still feel a little jipped, but those were some damn good fries.
Dont try the pesto con penne, there's a reason why the stir fried line was long. I love pesto, but the dish was bland and a bit thick. Felt like I had to run around the grounds to lose that plate. The garlic bread was good, but after 2 bites, it rolled off our plate for the lack of space and eating surface :[
Disappointed with our pesto, we stood by a group of girls who were devouring these sausage sandwiches. We asked them how it was and one of the girls explained it was "delicious!" It was good, but not "delicious!" It was huge though, and quite filling.
The FREE garlic ice cream is pretty good! Vanilla soft serve with a hint of garlic. There were two longgg lines to the booth, but they move faster than I thought it would. Watch out for the curving line which was deceivingly short. They handed out 4 cones to a person, which required me to handle it with both hands. awesomeee.
You have to get the garlic popcorn. The medium sized bag will suffice. My friend (at her 3rd garlic festival), recommended it. The garlic popcorn makes the biggest impact on your breath, but they're too good not to eat it. Just make sure you brush before you hop into bed with your sig. other (my dad didnt, mom was not happy).
It is possible to find shade and an escape from the heat. Further away from the gourmet alley (away from the beer garden) is a rain tent. Its a tent you walk under that has an constant flow of air mist. I couldnt stay under there for more than 10 minutes but it was much needed.
Also, dont be intimidated by the seating under the tent. It is possible to find room, just try and stalk a little. Itll be worth it to not drop your garlic bread.
The people are nice and the line for the shuttle back to the parking lot wasnt so bad. There were volunteers that stood along the line offering cups of cold water to keep you hydrated. There's a port-a-potty and a wash hand station along the line for the last minute bladders.
Dont forget, come with cash (between the guy and I, we spent about $60 together). There are atms, but there's a $3.50 fee, and I got hit by another $2 from BofA.
A wonderful event if you come prepared. I read a lot of these reviews and was a bit disappointed by the ratings, but walking in with that helped curve my expectations. It was great and I'd go back for the popcorn and garlic fries.
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Our experience sums up to this one line: Be there right when the park opens, or don't be there at all.
For a festival that has been running for many years, they still cannot work out the transportaion/logistics? All roads lead to the park were packed solid. We left SJ at 11am on Saturday, and finally had the car parked at 1pm. That's two hours of listening to kids screaming for food and restroom.
Trekking from the car park to the festival took a good 15 mins on a dirt road under the hot sun. Once inside, we were overwhelmed by the crowd. Lines were long and people were cutting lines. Every item we wanted to get would take a good 15 mins in line.
The only saving grace is that the foods were delicious (we had only garlic sausage, calamari, scampi and pesto penne). But the price was ridiculous for such small portions. Five shrimps in a tiny bowl of sauce for &7? $5 for a Pepsi with no refill? $18 to fill a souvenir beer mug? How about $12 per person for admission!? Hey, I am all for making money. But please don't abuse the patrons by ripping them off!
Two hours and $150 later this family of 4 left the park exhausted and hungry. Of course, the roads leaving the festival were packed solid too.
So, either you go early and beat the crowd, or don't bother. Once there, be prepare drop lots of money. This is one family that will never go back again.
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Overpriced like crazy. When I went many years ago, admission was something like 20 something dollars a person. You also have to pay $4-12 for food once you get in.
Parking was weird. You ride a small shuttle to the fairgrounds. Kind of inconvenient for the wheelchair bound.
Unless you can seriously binge on all the soft serve and garlic powder, there's no real reason to come down here. Plus, it's embarrassing to get in line again and again for the ice cream. Stay home and sprinkle your own garlic salt on top of some ice cream you can buy at a local grocer. Save the gas. Save the planet. Save yourself some buck. I mean, thanks for the flavormatic garlic, farmers, but please find someway to improve this fest!
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Dragged a few friends to this awesome annual event.. it was each of our first times attending this event in GILROY, and boy were we excited!
We entered and all of us were famished, we hit the garlic alley and grabbed 4 servings of garlic fries, a serving of stuffed garlic mushroom, and ate, and ate, and ate.
This was followed by garlic ice cream, we tried butter pecan, roasted almond and the best flavor: garlic pistachio!
This was followed by a round of ice cold beer (the place is HELLA hot.. I think we all ended drinking up a ton of water, lemonade, and other sundries throughout the day to keep from fainting).
And then we found the Hatterdashery...where we got to buy our GARLIC BULB HATS (yes, this was my personal favorite!), and geek it up by acting like silly triplet garlic bulbs the rest of the afternoon while dancing and listening to the 3 stage of music.
The bands were pretty great, the heat was not so great, but the crowd of people were fun and adventurous. The lines for the garlic ice cream were ubberly long.
My advice: get there early in the morning so you can miss as much traffic as possible. Parking is FREE!
Enter and start getting the food, once noon hits, the lines are way to long...
Meander and find random things, laugh, and enjoy the time. It's awesome.
I enjoyed it a great deal.
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I have been here twice. There's a cover charge to get in, which should be cut in half. Its always extremely hot and hardly any shade...so try to avoid be here mid day. Wear a hat, glasses and sunscreen.
There's plenty of food to eat, live bands, beer/wine, some kids activities, cooking shows, booths. ATM machines located in the festival.
I would say at least try it out once or twice.
This was supposed to be a garlic themed festival but in reality it was just a bunch of vendors selling junk. The same little merchant booths selling glass crap that I find at every street fair.
The first booths were someone screaming about a get-rich-quick business scheme and someone selling a car. I thought this was supposed to be about garlic?
There were not many food vendors and only a few who had some garlic food but 99% of the food here had nothing to do with garlic. The ones that did have garlic had garlic fries.
The only bright spot was the garlic ice cream which was great but $5 for a tiny scoop? The garlic french fries were OK but nothing I couldn't get at any street fair.
Why did I have to pay $12 per ticket to come to this festival? I shouldn't have to pay to go shopping. Waste of time and very disappointing.
Traffic getting here was terrible. There was no shade and the heat was unbearable.
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My first time to the World Famous Gilroy Garlic Festival.....my last time too. It's just a glorified food fair with garlic tossed into every dish. Average cost for food items was about $6.00. Bottle of water was $3 You would think there would be something a bit more "educational" about it where you can learn about garlic...lol...after all, it is a Garlic Festival. They should rename it a Garlic Food Festival.
Be prepared for hot hot hot weather...wear sunscreen and a hat. There is very little shade and people were vying for what little shade there was.
I will have to say though, the entire event is extremely well organized. From the moment you get off the highway, you can see how all the planning has come into play. Although there was a lot of waiting (we went on Sunday afternoon), everything went smoothly. They do have greyhound type busses which shuttle you from the dirt parking lot to the event but be prepared to wait. We opted to hike it both ways...stupid mistake.
So overall, very well organized. Why wouldn't I go again? Just a glorified food fair. Cook up some food at home, throw some garlic in it, and have your own fair. =)
P.S. - I wouldn't take elderly parents to this event...it's extremely hot and lots of walking on uneven paths.
P.P.S - if you're a people watcher, then go. People from all walks of life...local Gilroy'ians to south bay'ers to SF'ers to International tourists too.
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It's definitely worth going to, and the 3 stars is just because I don't know if I will make this a tradition. (only because it gets pricey)
Although parking is free, the entrance fee is $12 (less for children). If you think of it as 2 hours of parking in San Francisco, it makes you (or at least me) feel better.
Starting prices for food are $4. (The garlic bread was $2.50, and deeelicious! You get 3 pieces, too!)
My garlic sausage sandwich was pretty good, and at $6, I thought it was a relatively good buy.
The garlic chicken stir fry (also $6), although tasty, seemed small, but maybe that's just because my boyfriend was eating it and he eats very fast.
Buy anything (I bought aioli) and you're out another $6-10.
Don't forget to bring cash (at least $30-40 per person) because the ATM surcharge is... $3.50.
The smoothie stand had a $7.50 deal where you could get refills for only $2. Split that with someone and you'll feel like you won out :)
Of course, you really don't have to buy a drink, since there is a water fountain as well as a tent that was pouring out Aquafina into paper cups so people wouldn't get heat stroke.(bad press!)
All of the food here is like higher quality fair food, but you have to keep in mind that they are churning out such a high quantity of garlic fries, sandwiches, bread, etc, that it's not restaurant quality.
It's a fun atmosphere though-- there were musicians and cook-offs, and, of course, the smell of garlic permeating through every square inch of the lot.
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I have been hearing about this thing for years. My husband and I always plan on attending but have never made it before today. Where to begin...
First, the traffic situation is pretty dismal. We went very early to avoid it, and still sat in traffic for a while, but that's to be expected.
When we got there, we had to trek across a muddy field with our daughter's stroller to catch a bus. The bus required us to hold a 1 year old on our lap down a bumpy ravine. I'm sure that can't be safe OR legal...
Then, we get there and pay admission, which seemed kind of high for a food festival, but we figured there would be tons of free garlic-infused food to try. Not so. In fact, there were only four places giving free anything- free mouthwash, free macrobiotic drink, free garlic ice cream, and ONE garlic/olive oil tasting stand. The entire rest of the "festival" was just one giant food court, nothing of which was free. So basically we paid 12 bucks per person to buy food from the same vendors you can buy food from at most of the (free) wine festivals in the Bay Area. The twist is that some of the vendors added a little garlic to their standard menu fare. Great.
They also had some artisan vendors, but not as many as aforementioned wine festivals, and again, when you go to, say Mountain View Art and Wine, it's FREE to get in- you only pay if you want something. I think Gilroy ought to rethink it's entire setup in the future. Make admission free if we have to pay for everything else once we get inside. I'm sorry, but we will not be paying for the pleasure of buying mall food again, so unless they drop the fee, this will be our first and last Garlic Festival.
So, so, SO disappointing.
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Pathetic. Didn't live up to my expectations and they were pretty damn low in the first place.
First - why charge $12 when there isn't a damn thing to do inside that doesn't require you to pay more? I can see these same food vendors at any street fair in SF without having to pay a cover charge. I'd give you 2 stars if this place was free, but $12 per person is extremely over priced. I might also give you 2 stars if this place was $5 per person, but probably not.
2econd - all the food vendors just make the same ol' festival food but throw in a bit of garlic. Is this really what a "garlic festival" implies? How about make some unique garlic dishes for people who really love garlic! Cuz that's what I wanted.
Gilroy Garlic Festival - you sound super cool, but I should have listened to my boss and co-workers who told me you are a waste of time.
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Do you LOVE garlic? How about, SWEATING in 100+ heat by just standing in place? Does FREE GARLIC ice cream served in a mini cone appeal to your taste buds? If so, then this is the place for you.
On my way back from Lake Naci, it seemed appropriate to stop off at the world famous (okay, California famous), garlic festival. I hadn't been in probably 20 years...??? (Jeez I'm getting old)...So, when one of my friends mentioned it, I was ALL IN!
It was quite a maze making it from the 101 to the parking lot. Thank god the parking was FREE! They even offered school/chartered buses to transport between lot and entrance with AC! Holler.
For $12, I got to walk around in the crowded heat, see Fabio (from Top Chef) do a cooking demo, obtain 4 free bulbs of garlic and learn how to cultivate my own, melt in the heat, braid garlic, take a pic with Gilroy the garlic man, and for another $6, I ate chicken on a stick (who doesn't love meat on a stick?)
What a day. I do not need to return. Ever. TOO HOT.
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A monumental let down per Food network. Another reason why you can't trust everything on TV, check reviews first! It just wasn't as fantastic as what was displayed on their FN festival show special.
Starting at 10:30 am and arriving at 2:30pm, the destination was GPS'ed as 2 hours and 10 minutes away. Why all the drag? mostly due to Gilroy traffic. The last ten miles were a most tedious wait.
Was it everything a fair should be? It was definitely like a state fair and while the theme was garlic I expected much more and got so much less. I think if any vendor wants to participate at a garlic fest they should be able to offer garlic infused and inspired dishes. Hawaiian BBQ & chicken teriyaki does not scream garlic to me. Too few garlic food options. I would have liked to learn something about garlic and Gilroy garlic. This festival was more about dollar signs then Gilroy and it's garlic. Fun? With the right people sure, but, not for a whole day. Expensive? yes. Food and booze expect to spend at least $80 a person and then don't forget to buy a festival booklet and the cover charge to the festival.
A whole lot of walking around so bring some SPF lotion and a sun visor or hat. Actually there are many vendors selling tons of cool things like wicker hats, cowboy hats, eclectic art, this one dude with art pieces which use brilliantly colored butterflies (http://www.butterflycr...) worth a look. Standing out there in the heat, sun beating down on top of you, lots of "people watching", there were all kinds of people here, families and singles. Me, being from Chicago I wasn't used to seeing so many different cultures of people and that was cool.
I went with two awesome people, my broil and sis and with them it was a good time. I wouldn't go back alone.
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First off ... it took us 2 hours to get there! Man o man ... hella traffic =(
When we finally got there, we went straight for the food area because we were all very hungry. Our mistake though cause we should have walked around first to find where the better type of food was. The food was okay, I think we almost tried everything! Not to mention it was pretty expensive for such a small amount!
It was really hot there but was cool in the shaded areas. Totally tell the difference if your passing through.
I think we would have loved this except that we kept comparing it to other festivals in the Bay Area that are just as good and free. A long drive from Oakland then $12 each. But the main thing is that there isn't much there. Lots of arts and crafts but mostly this was knickknacks for old ladies. Then lots of fair-food. Fries, corn on the cob, turkey drumsticks, etc. Nice. But not amazing. the garlic ice cream was good.
In the end I would be surprised if we went back. there are too many good summer festivals in California to waste time with this.
(We parked in different lots. No one could tell us how to drive from one lot to another, but everyone was super friendly. Reasonably well organized for a festival and friendly count for something, but we still won't come back.)
I had a blast at the Gilroy Garlic Festival!!
There was so many food choices, and everything tasted so good.
-Garlic Pepper Steak Sandwich
-Beer Battered Garlic Fries
-Crawfish Etouffee
Go early to avoid traffic, and it will be less crowded!
Admission is $12.
4.5 hour drive from LA aren't exactly bad (I hate long car rides) with a gf to catch up on boys and the latest gossips right?
It was SUPER hot and a lot of people, but the food was good, but had better. Wait, the paella was the best I ever had though.
I don't think I'll make it back there anytime soon.
We went on a Sunday.
About 20 miles from the exit on 101, there was traffic by 11am. On the way to Christmas Hill Park there were people selling refreshments on the sidewalk. Volunteers in green shirts at the park directed us where to park. We didn't see where the shuttle picks up or drops off. We walked a dirt path to the entrance and it was like following El Coyote across the border. The forecast said a high of 87 and at 79 it felt like 100 degrees.
We got in line to pay our $12 admission. The lady at the window told my boyfriend he looked like he was there for trouble..(At the garlic festival?) Upon entering the festival, there were kids selling programs for $1. So we paid $12 for admission and then immediately following they hit us up for more money for a program.
It was so hot and crowded that we didn't look at much. We came for the food and it's true, a lot of the items weren't even garlic. The gator tail on a stick for $5-- at the tail it tasted like calamari and as you ate closer to the more meatier area, it tasted like juicy, fatty chicken. If I had known it was the way it was, I would've doused it with hot sauce but it was so hot after we got the food, we tried to get under the shade where the benches were to enjoy the food.. where there was no hot sauce.
So we'd stand in line for the food. Get it. Go back to find somewhere to sit under the shade and benches to eat and do it over again.
We tried the garlic fries which was a little paper tray for $5. It was good but not a lot of garlic on them. We had the french fried artichoke nachos.. and of course, the garlic vanilla ice cream on half a cantoloupe. The melon was 25cents more and hard to eat with a plastic spoon.
All and all it was good to try it once and I think we're okay with not returning for another 10 years, if at all.. But now we know that staying in Gilroy and going early would probably be best.
Why didn't I think about checking the Yelp reviews for Gilroy Garlic Festival before going?? Tsk tsk. This review has been sitting in my draft pile for a while now so it's time to wrap this baby up. Long story short, I was disappointed in the amount of garlic. Granted, it reeked like garlic but in terms of garlicy food, the only eye opener was the garlic ice cream (try one bite but don't order a full dish, you'll never finish). They only had about 5-6 garlic dishes specific to the festival - all of which were mediocre. Everything else was your typical crappy festival food that I can get outside my window during Carnival in the Mission. They didn't even have good garlic swag! Just your standard braid and clay roaster. Boooring. Not worth the drive down from the city, definitely not worth the traffic, and hands down not worth the blazing heat.
4 star.
- Left SFO airport around 10 am Saturday and arrived at Gilroy before 11:30am. Cops were everywhere on the highway that day! It was early enough that traffic wasn't too bad and the shuttle buses from the parking lot to entrance were moving fast.
- Weather wasn't as hot as what we were expecting so that made the day more pleasant.
- We tried most of the food except the gator booth. Garlic popcorn was the best though.
For first time visitors, I would just arrive early and don't expect too much. After visiting the Gilroy outlets a few miles away, we left the city around 3pm and the traffic towards the festival was insane! Good times!
After reading everyone's reviews, I told myself that I would not get sucked into going. However, there was nothing else to do on a Sunday so I decided to head down there anyways. One thing for sure is, I will definitely never go back. It is just one of those things that you only need to do once.
From the moment you get off the shuttle, the whole thing is a money sucking scam. If I am paying 12 dollars for admission, I think the programs need to be free. They are not even worth $1. I don't really care if it is going to a good cause, it should just be included in admission.
In 2 hours, I spent:
$24 - 4 beers
$10 - 2 margaritas
$8 - crab & garlic fries
$6 - garlic sausage sandwich
So, including the price of admission, I spent $72 dollars in about an hour for 2 people.
It was just so hot and honestly, there is not that much going on at the festival to keep you wanting to be there. There are side stages with music but, I can only watch unknown acts for so long before I die of boredom or want to drown myself with more expensive booze.
The layout of the festival is massively huge, but it is all filled with really random useless booths to try to scam you out of more money. They had booths selling toe rings, hammocks, bathroom fitters, etc.
Overall, I wouldn't go again but if you are to go, you should definitely try to arrive by 930 or 10 at the latest. The traffic gets extremely bad and the weather gets even more scorching. Oh, and the free sample of the garlic vanilla ice cream was really disgusting. It was like eating 10 cloves of garlic at once. You will definitely need a beer after wards to wash your mouth out.
When an old friend showed up at my doorstep this last Sunday I was more than willing to accompany her to the Gilroy Garlic Festival since I had never been (despite living in the Bay Area my whole life!). We left after one and hit traffic just before Morgan Hill on 101 S. The first exit to the festival was Masten Ave. and was backed up for DAYS. I figured I would take the next exit, turn around, and exit Masten from the other side. Instead I found that Monterrey Ave. was a secret second exit. We didn't wait at all and made it into the green parking lot in no time. Here is where my friend and I messed up: we did NOT make note of where the car was parked. If you do not want to wander around in the blistering heat hitting the panic button on your key so that the alarm goes off and shows you where your car is then make note of your position!
It was a five minute walk down a dust path and a wooded hill to the green parking lot entrance. From there we got the once over with the wand and a purse check... then it was $12 dollars for one ticket! My friend wanted to see Fabio's demo (from Top Chef) but we saw him all of 5 minutes. My pal kept saying that he looked weirder in person (something about the eyebrows being plucked). After the demo the rest was a hot blur of over priced food and drinks. I never even went into the beer gardens since Bud Light was $6.00 a pint and wine was $7.00 a glass!!
I ended up buying two weak sangrias, at $7.00 each, plus food, plus some goodies. I got lemon flavored olive oil and double stuffed olives (garlic and peppers) from Corning Olive Oil Company but everything else was waaay overpriced. I feel like I wasted around $60.00 to bake in the heat, battle the legions of festival goers, and attend a festival that honestly was not as garlic centric as I anticipated. There
Definitely a must try. Just make the long drive and go hungry and try one of everything! The garlic stuffed mushrooms were the absolute best thing there, so yummy. The garlic ice cream is good, it's just ice cream with a small spicy garlic kick at the end. The garlic fries are like any other garlic fries, but still a must eat at the festival. They have lotsa booze, but I was disappointed that nobody came up with garlic beer.
