Smooth sailing at Garlic Fest

It was business as usual at Christmas Hill Park Saturday.
The army of volunteers made it an enjoyable day at the 35th Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival for the festival attendees — and there were a lot of them.
Though official numbers won’t be in until Monday morning, it was clear by midday that there was a significant increase in visitors Saturday as opposed to Friday. 
The weather was a balmy 77 degrees most of the day with a slight breeze that helped combat the heat coming off the stoves and fryers. But even with the cooler weather, visitors sought whatever shade they could find to enjoy their garlic flavored treats before heading back to explore the rest of what the fest had to offer.
“Things went really well today,” Gilroy Garlic Festival Executive Director Brian Bowe said. “Things really seemed to go smooth. The weather is cooporating and we’re making a lot of money which will go to the local charities. It’s all going really well.”
The Cook-off Theater was packed to the brim with visitors watching the different competitions between chefs from all over the country. The crowds were just as dense outside the theater, with what seemed to be a never-ending line of festival goers waiting for their serving of free garlic ice cream.
At the other end of the park, gasps and claps could be heard even before the large crowd could be seen. Festival attendees watched as the Gourmet Alley cooks prepared meals for the hungry crowds. The cooks dazzled their audience with large flames while chanting in sync, fueling the competition between cooks to the Classic Rock that blared from speakers behind them.
The Children’s Area was buzzing with little ones waiting to engage in all the activities the festival had to offer. If children weren’t waiting in line to get their face painted, they seemed to be waiting to take part in the Free Kid’s Workshop, where they assembled different projects with help from Home Depot staff. 
Throughout the day, interest gained in the Bubble Fun activity, where children are placed inside of inflatable plastic balls and get to bounce around on the water. Wax hands, Spin Art and Sand Art booths also had a steady stream of kids interested in making its crafts.
It was a little different in the Teen Zone, however. Despite having attractions such as the Zipline and mechanical bull, there were much fewer attendees in this area than any other area of the park. 
Gourmet Alley saw a constant stream of hungry festival goers. The longest lines were for the combo plates — which featured peppered steak or garlic sausage sandwiches, calamari or scampi, Pasta con Pesto or garlic mushrooms and garlic bread. 
The Gazebo stage drew the most interest for those looking to satisfy their musical needs. Attendees clapped and sang along with Jazz/Pop artist Avi Wisnia from Philadelphia in the morning and tapped their toes to the country stylings of Mason Douglas from Tennessee in the afternoon. 
Both Garlic Mercantile shops stayed busy, suppling a constant flow of people with souvenirs such as the commemorative festival bobblehead, wine glasses, magnets sporting the recipe for the festival’s garlic bread and several other products. Most attendees seemed to head to the shops as the day wound down and it was time to head home.