Start Planning Your Garlic Festival Must-Sees!

The big cook-off at the Gilroy Garlic Festival kicks off at 10 a.m., Saturday, but spatulas and pans will be a flingin' and a flyin' on Friday and Sunday, too.

It's all about food at this festival dedicated to the garlic.

On Friday: The Master Chef Challenge takes place at 11 a.m., and at 1:15 p.m., the winners are announced. At 2 p.m., an event simply called “So You Think You Can Cook with Garlic” kicks off,  and at 3:45 p.m., local celebrity chefs, Saka Bozzo and Ada Wong (Biggest Loser), will give the audience a demonstration.

On Saturday: This year, the lady chefs are out to prove themselves. They are the majority in this final round.

The cook-off finalists include:

• Judy Reynolds from Bloomington, IN, cooking Garlic and Lobster, Curry Corn Chowder with Sweet Potato Bites and Thai Garlic and Hot Chili Swirl.
• Derek Thurman from Charlotte, NC, cooking Spicy Tuna Towers with Garlic Three Ways.
• Emily Falke from Santa Barbara, cooking Garlic-Infused Tilapia; Beet, Parsnip and Sweet Potato Stacks with Watercress Aioli.
• Mary Shivers from Ada, OK, cooking Christopher Ranch Pesto Chicken with Garlic-Laced Stone Fruit Sauce.
• Wendy Hector from Sacramento, cooking Garlic-Covered Pork and Pork-Covered Garlic with Roman Gnocchi and Paprika Cream Sauce.
• Michaela Rosenthal from Woodland Hills, cooking Tomato-Glazed Veal Chops with Roasted Garlic and Sage Spaetzle.
• Jamie Brown-Miller from Napa, cooking Stacked Steak Napoleon on Garlic Paper with Asparagus, Radicchio, Shiitakes and Stilton.
• Susan Mason from Milton, WA, cooking Lime in De Coconut Garlic Tarts.

On Sunday: The "Garlic Showdown" brings the weekend's activities to a climax at noon, with winners announced two hours later at 2 p.m.