Frequently Asked Questions

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is a three-day celebration of great garlicky food, live entertainment, cooking competitions, and community pride. Founded in 1979, the event is hosted by hundreds of community volunteers who have raised millions of dollars for local schools, charities, and non-profit organizations.

The 2025 Gilroy Garlic Festival will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 25, 26 & 27, 2025. Event hours are 10:00am – 6:00 pm. Tickets are valid for one day only.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival will take place at South County Grove, a separately gated special event space at Gilroy Gardens. The address is 3050 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy, CA 95020.

Note that the Gilroy Garlic Festival will be a separately ticketed event, with attendees entering directly through the South County Grove entrance. There is no access between the Gilroy Garlic Festival and Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in terms of parking, ticketing, or entrances.

Tickets are $35 each and go on sale on Saturday, May 31 at 12:00 noon PT. Note that ticket sales are limited to 3,000 per day and are expected to sell out quickly. Click here to purchase tickets

Ticket prices include festival admission, live musical entertainment, and cooking demonstrations. Festival guests purchase food and beverages (including beer and wine) from a wide variety of vendors. Parking is $25.

On-site parking is available near the Gilroy Gardens South County Grove. No shuttle bus is required. The parking fee is $25. A limited number of disabled parking spaces are available.

Yes, there will be a designated area for bicycle parking. Please bring your own lock. There is no charge for bicycle parking.

No, there will not be dedicated parking for RVs or large trailers. Check the Visit Gilroy website for a list of local RV parks.

For information about hotels, RV parks, campsites, and other local attractions, please go to the Visit Gilroy website or visit the California Welcome Center Gilroy (located at Gilroy Premium Outlets Building A, near Forever 21).

No. The Gilroy Garlic Festival will take place at South County Grove, a separately gated special event space at Gilroy Gardens. The Gilroy Garlic Festival will be a separately ticketed event, with attendees entering directly through the South County Grove entrance. There is no access between the Gilroy Garlic Festival and Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in terms of parking, ticketing, or entrances.

The Festival is held in an outdoor park that is mostly grass with some compact dirt and asphalt walkways. There are natural shade trees and some shade structures with tables and benches. Prepare for lots of eating, walking, shopping, and maybe dancing!

Shirts and shoes are required at all times. We highly recommend that you:

• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Dress in layers. Mornings may be cool and foggy; afternoons are usually sunny and warm.
• Bring sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc.).

It is the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s policy to provide a safe, family-friendly atmosphere for all Festival patrons and volunteers. The Gilroy Garlic Festival may refuse entry or admission to anyone wearing clothing or paraphernalia indicating or signifying membership in a gang, including a motorcycle club. This policy is applied equally to all patrons, regardless of their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability or medical condition.

Gilroy Garlic Festival rules prohibit bringing the following items on Festival grounds:

• Alcohol of any kind
• Bottles, glass and cans
• Coolers – large or small
• Frisbees and water-projecting devices
• Pocket knives or weapons of any kind

Only animals that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines as Service Animals are allowed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. There is a limit of one service animal per guest. Service animals must be physically controlled on a leash or harness at all times. Guests whose service animal demonstrates aggressive actions towards other guests or volunteers will be directed to remove the animal from the event.

No smoking or vaping is allowed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is committed to providing a safe environment for all our guests and associates. We have implemented several security procedures at the entrance gate which may result in slight delays while entering the park.

As a part of this process:

• Guests arriving at the park may be subject to metal detection.
• All bags, purses, backpacks, waist packs, etc. may be subject to search prior to entering.
• The Gilroy Garlic Festival does not tolerate guests who fight and/or harass other guests while on our property. People who engage in this behavior are subject to being ejected, risk being potentially banned from the event, and may be subject to arrest by local police.
• Coolers and ice chests are allowed only if they are being used to carry bottled water. Coolers and ice chests must be 18 square inches or smaller.
• We encourage guests to leave any unnecessary items at home or secured in your vehicle.

These items are prohibited:

• Outside food or beverages (Exceptions can be made for any dietary need: medical, religious or personal choice to include food allergies and infant food/formula.)
• Glass, ceramic, or porcelain containers of any kind (with exception of infant food/formula)
• Weapons including but not limited to guns, knives, pepper spray, explosives or fireworks, glass breakers
• Marijuana, including marijuana-enriched products, or any illegal substance. Smoking and vaping are not allowed in park.
• Alcoholic beverages
• Horns, whistles, remote speakers or sound systems
• Drones, remote controlled toys, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, or shoes with wheels. Children’s ride-on toys must be equipped with handles for parents to control.
• Balls, bats, frisbees, kites, pool noodles, inflatable pool toys, squirt guns
• Folding chairs or tent-like structures, large umbrellas