GILROY
– Instead of smelling the garlic from the fields on her way to
work, these days Peggy Burris Suyeyasu drives through rows of
vineyards in her new hometown of Napa.
GILROY – Instead of smelling the garlic from the fields on her way to work, these days Peggy Burris Suyeyasu drives through rows of vineyards in her new hometown of Napa.
After her term as president in 1996, Suyeyasu had to move only weeks after the festival to Napa to care for her mother who was ill. During her 15 years in Gilroy, she taught science at South Valley Junior High School and was involved with the Garlic Festival since its third year.
“I had a friend involved with the association, and it looked like so much fun,” Suyeyasu said. “It was a great way to meet some really nice people.”
Since her time as president, Suyeyasu has been to a variety of festivals and said the Garlic Festival still stands out as far better than any others.
“You can hear good entertainment at many festivals, but the food here is far superior to any other,” she said.
During her time as president, the festival welcomed its two-millionth visitor at the gate, who was one surprised 6-year-old boy.
“It was very special,” Suyeyasu said.
In 1996, the the Garlic Festival Association also hit the $4-million mark in money raised for the community of Gilroy.
Suyeyasu said the community that benefits from the money raised includes the people who work the hardest to earn it.
“The best thing about this festival is it’s so fun to volunteer, and it makes people feel like they are involved in something important,” she said.
Most presidents run into a few minor problems, and Suyeyasu had her share. While on stage giving the opening ceremonies speech, the generator died and she had to welcome everyone through a bullhorn.
“It was inconvenient, but of course things went on to be wonderful like always,” she said.
Another change to the festival in 1996 was the seeking of public opinion. Suyeyasu and the board created a public forum for Gilroy residents to share their ideas about how to improve the festival. This helped the group of festival committees come up with new strategies to improve the weekend event.
Suyeyasu said the festival would not be so successful without the capabilities of the workers.
“This organization is a fine-tuned machine,” she said. “As president, half the time you don’t even know what’s going on. Most of the responsibility lies on the committee chairs, and they do a phenomenal job.”
The festival not only gave Suyeyasu friends and a role as president – it gave her love.
“If it weren’t for the Garlic Festival, I would have never met my husband,” she said.
Suyeyasu, then Peggy Burris, met 1987 past president Glenn Suyeyasu through working at the festival and after five years of a saying “hello” and making small talk, the presidential couple got married.
“I’ve always known you can make good friends through this organization, but who would have known I would meet my husband?” she marveled.
Even though Suyeyasu has made Napa her new home, she said she dearly misses Gilroy, and she and her husband come back every year for the festival.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said. “It’s great to come back every year and see what’s new.”
Her advice for future success is to continue to be innovative with new food, new events and finding other ways of drawing people to the festival.
