The festival formerly known as the Gilroy Garlic Festival, which became the California Garlic Festival and moved to the Central Valley two years ago, is moving once again.
The four-decade-old Gilroy Garlic Festival had become a popular tourist draw to the town of Gilroy, which dubbed itself the Garlic Capital of the World. But a tragic 2019 mass shooting, combined with some financial troubles and onerous insurance requirements that followed that shooting, meant that the festival's longtime organizers had to call the whole thing off in 2022.
It may be somewhat appropriate that, given that the business of garlic growing left the Gilroy area some years ago (though significant garlic processing facilities are still there), the garlic festival should move closer to where garlic is still being harvested — which is in the western Central Valley. And that began when the organizer of the annual Asparagus Festival in Stockton decided to swoop in and relaunch as the California Garlic Festival just a few months after the Gilroy folks decided to indefinitely cancel.
The California Garlic Festival happened at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in August 2022 and again in August 2023, with new organizer Tony Noceti saying at the time, "The problem with that is it should be over in their region over there, where it came from," noting that garlic needs to be grown in a slightly cooler climate.
Well, the festival is moving this year to Merced County, to the town of Los Banos — which is 48 miles due east of Gilroy and significantly closer to the original festival grounds than Stockton.
As ABC 7 reports, the California Garlic Festival will be happening over Labor Day Weekend, from August 30 to September 1, at the Merced County Spring Fairgrounds. Admission this year will be $15 for adults, $10 for ages 6-17, and free for children five and under.
The festival will include carnival rides ($35 gets you unlimited rides), monster truck shows, live entertainment, and of course the Cali Garlic Alley food vendors serving garlic noodles, garlic wings, garlic sausage, garlic popcorn, garlic grilled cheese, garlic catfish, garlic shrimp, and yes, garlic ice cream. See more details here.
Previously: Garlic Festival Apparently Happening In Stockton In August, Under New Organizers
Top image: People lined up to buy garlic ice cream at the 2007 Garlic Festival, Gilroy, California. Photo by Getty Images
