Beloved Gilroy Garlic Festival Cancelled Amid Rising Costs, Pandemic Uncertainty

CBS San Francisco

April 22, 2022

The world-famous Gilroy Garlic Festival, a much-loved annual weekend event that has been a mainstay since the late 1970s, has been canceled in 2022 and for the foreseeable future, organizers announced Thursday.

Citing lingering uncertainties from the pandemic, along with “prohibitive insurance requirements” by the city of Gilroy, the festival’s board of directors has decided to replace the large-scale weekend gathering in Christmas Hill Park with a series of smaller, more intimate events.

“Obviously, we are left frustrated and disappointed,” according to a board statement. “Our world-renowned festival has helped showcase Gilroy and the South County for 42 years while raising millions of dollars for local charities. The festival is part of our heritage. Now we must ensure that it is part of our future. While it will never be the massive event of the past, a more intimate, local festival can still allow us to celebrate the community, garlic, and all it inspires.”

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