2019 Gilroy Garlic Festival | Final Day

Gilroy’s most famous event is making a comeback. After a six-year absence, the Gilroy Garlic Festival is set to return from July 25–27, 2025, at a new location—Gilroy Gardens. This marks a fresh chapter for the beloved festival, which has long been a cornerstone of the community and a major draw for visitors across Northern California.

The event will take place at the South County Picnic Grove within Gilroy Gardens, requiring a separate entry from the theme park itself. Unlike past festivals that welcomed massive crowds, this year’s festival will be a more intimate experience, capping attendance at 3,000 pre-sold tickets per day. There will be no on-site ticket sales, making advance purchase essential for those eager to take part in the festivities.

The return of the festival brings back signature garlic-infused cuisine, live entertainment, arts and crafts, and many of the traditions that have made it a regional favorite for decades. One of the most anticipated aspects is the return of Gourmet Alley, where visitors can enjoy classic dishes such as garlic scampi, pepper steak sandwiches, and of course, the iconic garlic ice cream.

For local businesses, the festival presents an opportunity to showcase their garlic-themed products on a larger stage once again. The event has long been a significant economic driver, drawing in tens of thousands of visitors in its heyday and supporting local nonprofits through its unique volunteer-based fundraising model.

The festival’s return comes after several challenges, including the 2019 mass shooting at Christmas Hill Park that left three people dead and 17 injured. Following the tragedy, festival organizers faced skyrocketing insurance costs, forcing the event’s cancellation in 2022. A smaller drive-through version was held in 2021, but without a sustainable financial model, the festival seemed uncertain for the future. Now, with renewed support from the community and city officials, the event is back, albeit in a different format.

While the 2025 festival will be scaled down compared to its previous iterations, organizers see this as a stepping stone toward rebuilding the event for years to come. Additional details, including ticketing information and programming, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Gilroy residents and garlic lovers alike can look forward to celebrating the city’s rich culinary heritage once again. The countdown to a garlicky good time has officially begun.

Hat Tip: SFist, Monterey Herald, Mercury News

Related Story: World Famous Gilroy Garlic Festival Cancelled Indefinitely – 4/25/2022

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