It’s been a successful return for Gilroy’s famed Garlic Festival. Six years after a deadly shooting at the annual South Bay event, the festival returned this weekend on a much smaller scale.
Gourmet Alley flames—a longstanding tradition—welcomed people back to the Gilroy Garlic Festival after a six-year hiatus following the mass shooting at the beloved event. A gunman killed three people, including 13-year-old Keyla Salazar. Her aunt says the pain is constant.
“For us it’s about remembering her and finding ways to honor her so she does not become a statistic, and people understand there are real lives that will never be the same,” said Katiuska Pimentel, Keyla’s aunt.
This weekend, the community came together to embrace a scaled-down version of the festival, with only 3,000 people a day allowed at the new venue in Gilroy Gardens—down from more than 100,000 in past years.
“I’m having a great time. It’s slower-paced, less crowded, less lines. I like it,” said Jaime Lopez of Gilroy.
Organizers wanted to make sure everyone felt safe, and security was tight.
“Our security here is the same as it was back when we had 100,000 people attending. There are 20 on-duty police officers 24/7, and in addition we have an internal force who also works around the clock,” said Paul Nadeau, president of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association.
Organizers admit there were challenges—including Friday, when so many people rushed to get food that there was a major bottleneck and long waits for garlicky fries, pasta and sandwiches. But for many, the return of the festival marks an important milestone.
“I want it back for the community. I do not want to let one incident ruin this for the community,” said Christina Tovar of Gilroy.
As this year’s festival winds down, organizers say the plan is to hold next year’s festival at Gilroy Gardens as well.
As volunteers ended the festival by dousing the flame above a giant garlic clove, they said they were encouraged by the success of this year’s event—and are already planning to grow an even bigger one next summer.
Source: NBC Bay Area