Gilroy Garlic Festival | July 26th, 27th & 28th | 35th Annual 1979-2013 Information » Gilroy Garlic Festival | July 26th, 27th & 28th

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35th Annual Garlic Festival July 26-28

Established in 1979, this three-day summertime celebration requires the work of 4,000 community volunteers. In 34 years of operation the Festival has entertained
3,938,036 guests and provided $9,737,763 to local non-profit organizations.

ABC-TV’s Carla Hall Hosts Garlic Showdown

Carla Hall, the co-host of ABC-TV’s “The Chew”, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the July 28 Garlic Showdown. The seventh Garlic Showdown will pit four professional chefs in an iron chef-style competition for a top prize of $5,000.

“The Chew” is viewed weekdays from noon-1 p.m. on Central Coast ABC Channel 7.

Chef Carla will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the high noon Showdown on Sunday of the Festival and then conduct a cooking demonstration at 2 p.m.

Hall is best known as a competitor on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” where she won over audiences with her fun catch phrase “Hootie Hoo” and her philosophy to always cook with love.

Hall is a true believer that, “If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation.”

Inaugural Garlic Bowl July 26

The 35th Garlic Festival will introduce the GARLIC BOWL on Friday July 26. This intercollegiate cooking jamboree will match the Executive Chefs from the University of California, Berkeley; Fresno State University and San Jose State University in a head to head to head competition with a top prize of a $5,000 cash scholarship awarded to the victorious school.

Mary Ferrer, Executive Chef, University of California, Berkeley

Michelle Rogers, Executive Chef, San Jose State

Erik Debaude, Executive Chef, Fresno State

Kick-off is slated for 2 p.m. on July 26 in the Festival’s Cook-Off Theater. Each team will have one hour to prepare, plate and serve two dishes– each recipe incorporating six cloves of fresh garlic– to a panel of five judges.

Great Garlic Cook-Off

Saturday July 27, 2013 / 10 a.m. / Cook-off Theater
1st Prize: $ 5,000

Afrikaner Butternut Tart with Pan Roasted Chickpeas and Sweet Chili Drizzle

Robin Kessler
Sarasota, FL

Scampi Style Seafood Bisque with Garlic & Herb Bread Sticks

Mary Edwards
Long Beach, CA

Roasted Garlic Berry Gazpacho with Feta Cheese and Green Peppercorns

Renata Stanko
Lebanon, OR 97355

Carnival Style Fish Sticks with Lemony Jalapeno Mayonnaise and Spicy Apple Kohlrabi Slaw

Karen Harris
Castle Rock, Colorado

Mahi-mahi Laulau with Shiitake Risotto, Candied Garlic & Coconut Cream

Kristine Snyder
Kihei, HI

West Coast Glazed Wild Salmon, Dungeness Dilled Crabcakes ontop Wasabi Garlic Mashed Potatoes finished with a Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce

Stacey Clayton
Sechelt B.C., Canada, Von 3A7

Chardonnay, Dijon, Garlic and Herb Basted Rotisserie Leg of Lamb served with Roasted Garlic Tapenade and Quinoa Tabouli

Bryan Moiles
Morgan Hill, CA

Monviso & Espresso Rubbed Steaks with Maître d’hôtel Butter and Smoky Tarragon & Garlic-Braised Pearl Onions

Mary Shivers
Ada, OK

VINEYARD STAGE HOSTS COUNTRY ARTISTS

CHARLIE WORSHAM and AUSTIN WEBB

Hot Country 95.3 KRTY Radio will host hot young recording artists Charlie Worsham and Austin Webb on the Vineyard Stage on Saturday July 27.

Worsham, who has opened for Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert, recently hit the charts with “Could It Be.”

Webb’s first album is scheduled for release after the Garlic Festival but his current single “It’s All Good”, has gained critical acclaim.

Garlic Showdown Offers $5,000
Top Prize To Professional Chef

Four professional chefs will appear on the Cook-Off stage on Sunday July 28 to participate in the ultimate showdown.

This Fabulous Foursome will be challenged to prepare a personal entrée featuring
the day’s key ingredient: GARLIC.

The Grand Prize will be $5,000.

Contestants will be allowed to bring their favorite spices and cookware. The contestants will be given a “secret ingredient” and will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve their creations to a select panel of judges.

2012 Champion: Jason Gronlund
Senior Director of Culinary, Hard Rock Cafe

Olivia Echeverria is Miss Gilroy Garlic

Olivia Echeverria of Gilroy is Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival 2013.

Queen Olivia, 22, is a graduate of Anchor Point High School and received her Bachelor’s degree from Bethany University. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Entertainment Business at Full Sail University.

In the Queen’s Pageant Queen Olivia won both the Speech and Talent competitions; her speech was titled “Episode 35: The Clove Cake” and her talent was an operatic singing performance.

Queen Olivia will represent the 35th Gilroy Garlic Festival at numerous pre-Festival activities and throughout the Festival July 26-28.

First runner-up is Melissa Wilder of Morgan Hill. Melissa is a graduate of Live Oak High School and West Valley Community College and will attend San Jose State University.

Second runner-up is Ashley Fellows of Gilroy. Ashley is a graduate of Gilroy High School and currently attends Gavilan Community College.

Princess Ariana Martinez of Gilroy is a graduate of Christopher High School and plans to attend Gavilan Community College.

Princess Vanessa Martinez of Gilroy is a graduate of Gilroy High School and currently attends Marinello School of Beauty.

TEEN ZONE Returns to Park Side

After a very successful debut last year the Teen Zone returns inside Gate 5 on the Park Side in 2013. Aimed specifically at graduates of the Childen’s Area, the Teen Zone will feature popular attractions such as a Mechanical Bull, the Orbitron, a trampoline and a Zip Line.

Garlic Capital of the World

Gilroy-based Christopher Ranch ships 70 million pounds of California Heirloom Garlic annually.

34-year Breakdown

The pyro-chefs on Gourmet Alley have served nearly 4 million visitors in 34 years. To feed the masses, the chefs have required:

416 tons of beef

133 tons of pasta

82 tons of scampi

62 tons of calamari

and 82 tons of fresh California garlic

Garlic Festival Fare

Gourmet Alley

Garlic Bread	Pasta con Pesto
Garlic Calamari	Garlic Scampi
Stuffed Mushrooms	Italian Sausage Sandwich
Peppersteak Sandwich	Garlic Fries

throughout Christmas Hill Park

Escargot	Oysters on the Half Shell
Cajun Crawdads	Blackened Shrimp & Rice
Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya	Cajun Fried Catfish
Roasted Garlic Chicken Quesadillas	BBQ Ribs & Turkey Drums
Handmade Artisan Candies	Garlic Ice Cream
Vietnamese Pork Sate Salad	Garlic Jelly
Key Lime Calamari	Shrimp Quesadillas
Grilled Wild Salmon Tacos	Garlic Veggie Wrap
Noodles w/Garlic & Fresh Vegetables	Garlic Frog Legs
Fried Garlic	Garlic Chicken Wings
Garlic Chocolate	Garlic Kettlekorn
French Fried Garlic Artichoke Hearts	Garlic Chicken Pizza
Garlic Rosemary Chicken Sandwich	Lumpia
Garlic Crab Fries	Pizza Pockets
Garlic Sautéed Mussels	Philly Cheesesteak
Sweet Potato Fries	Fried Chicken Strips w/ Garlic Sauce
Gator, Buffalo, Crispy Duck, Kangaroo, Wild Boar or Venison on a Stick Garlic Fried-Green Tomatoes

Fact Sheet

Downloadable images and broadcast quality video are available in the MEDIA CENTER at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com

Who:	Gilroy Garlic Festival www.gilroygarlicfestival.com
What:	The 35th annual “Ultimate Summer Food Fair”; three days of extraordinary food, arts & crafts and 50 live concerts.
Presenting Sponsor	Raley’s , Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods
Where:	Christmas Hill Park; Gilroy,CA 30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101
When:	Friday, Saturday & Sunday July 26-28, 2013 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Gates close at 6 p.m.)
How:	Tickets:	Adult General Admission $ 17.00 Children (ages 6-12) $ 8.00 (under 6 free) Seniors (60+) $ 8.00

$2.00 discount tickets available online or at all Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods locations.

Great Garlic Cook-off Bumps Top Prize to $5,000

The internationally acclaimed Great Garlic Cook-off, the signature event of the Gilroy Garlic Festival has increased the top prize in the July 27th competition to $5,000, event organizers announced today.

The Festival is accepting recipe submissions for the amateur cooking competition through May 1, 2013, Recipe Committee co- Chairpersons, Renee Harrigan and Ken Fry Crispy Pork Belly with Caramelized Onion and Fig Agrodolce and Creamy Polenta by contestant Laureen Pittman, of Riverside, CA won last year’s globally chronicled competition.

“Celebrating 35 Summers of Fun,” the Garlic Festival, presented by Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods, will entertain over 100,000 guests July 26-28 here.

Eight finalists from the initial field of entries will be selected to appear on stage July 27 at the Great Garlic Cook-off to present their creation. Original recipes must include a minimum of six cloves of fresh garlic or three teaspoons of chopped or minced garlic. The recipes will be prepared, plated and served to a panel of six judges in two hours time.

The eight finalists receive travel and lodging accommodations.

In addition to the increased top prize, second prize has been bumped to $2,500 and third prize to $1,000.

Entries can be submitted to the Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-off, P.O. Box 2311, Gilroy, CA 95021-2311 or via email to clove@gilroygarlicfestival.com

Submissions should be provided in recipe form and accompanied by a photograph of the final dish. Entries are limited to two recipes per person.

The 2013 Gilroy Garlic Festival will be held July 26-28 at Christmas Hill Park, located 35 miles south of San Jose along Highway 101.

Record $325K Awarded to Local Volunteer Groups

The Gilroy Garlic Festival has awarded a record $325,000 to 175 participating non-profit organizations from revenues realized from the 34th annual event, 2012 Festival Association President Hugh Davis announced today.

In addition to the landmark charity distribution, the Festival Board of Directors voted to contribute $50,000 to the Rudy Melone Memorial Scholarship Fund, $9,000 to the Gilroy Unified School District for lunch tables and $8,500 to the Kids Discover Arts program.

The awards bring the 34-year total of monies distributed locally by the internationally renowned three-day summer food extravaganza to $9,737,763. entering the event’s 35th anniversary in 2013.

“The people most responsible for the record amount of this year’s awards are the volunteer leaders who diligently managed expenses and realized that every dollar saved is a dollar returned to their organizations,” explained Davis. “ There is no better time of year to represent the Garlic Festival than after all the bills are paid and the Board of Directors decides how much we can grant back to our volunteer organizations.”

At the 1979 inception Festival founders created the Volunteer Equity Program, whereby profits are allocated to non-profit organizations designated by its work force.

Conducted by 4,000 volunteers, the 2012 Festival, presented by Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods, entertained and fed 100,240 visitors during the last weekend of July.

The Top Five beneficiaries in 2012 are: