Overview

• The three-day event began July 25 at South County Grove after all 9,000 tickets sold out within hours of their April release.
• Daily attendance is capped at 3,000 under new security protocols including private venue access and enhanced on-site screening.
• The menu features staple garlic dishes like fries and calamari plus a new garlic-infused IPA alongside live cooking demos and music.
• Organizers and city leaders spent six years redesigning the festival after a 2019 shooting, navigating $10 million in estimated insurance costs and a lawsuit dismissal in 2023.
• Attendees wearing “Gilroy Strong” shirts joined chefs and vendors in honoring past victims and fostering community resilience around a scaled-down revival.