GILROY
– In a Christopher Ranch warehouse filled with garlic bulbs
boxed and ready for this year’s festival, Gilroy Rotary members
took part in a little history Tuesday as Don Christopher helped
everyone remember how the idea for the Garlic Festival began 25
years ago.
GILROY – In a Christopher Ranch warehouse filled with garlic bulbs boxed and ready for this year’s festival, Gilroy Rotary members took part in a little history Tuesday as Don Christopher helped everyone remember how the idea for the Garlic Festival began 25 years ago.
Rotary members sat among past Garlic Festival presidents and committee members as they enjoyed a preview of the famous Gourmet Alley food prepared by the original master chef, Val Filice. The menu included pasto con pesto, garlic bread and salad.
Don Christopher announced that 25 years ago, in the summer of 1978, Christopher Ranch hosted a similarly Rotary club luncheon but with the goal of showcasing some of this very same food to food critics.
“It all began with one person and his ideas,” Christopher said. “His name is Dr. Rudy Melone.”
Melone had the idea that Gilroy should have a festival with home-cooked garlic food, entertainment and a garlic queen.
“We all said no,” Christopher said. “Not until that Rotary luncheon did we think this idea might actually work.”
At this year’s luncheon, Christopher said he owed thanks to a couple of women who helped him to see that Melone’s vision could one day come to fruition. Caryl Sanders, in charge of publicity for Christopher Ranch in the late ’70s, invited Betsy Balsley, a food editor for the Los Angeles Times, to come to the luncheon.
“I remember loving the food, and I kept telling Don that he really needed to make the festival work,” Balsley said.
Christopher recognized both women for their encouragement and honored them with a commemorative 25th anniversary mug. He also recognized his first board of directors and asked each past president to stand as they, too, were acknowledged.
“This is such an historic event for me,” Christopher said.
The people who participated in the original luncheon have always been in Christopher’s heart, said his wife, Karen Christopher.
Garlic Queen Melissa Noto and her court of nine princesses were at the luncheon and performed musical numbers to “We are family,” “Footloose” and “Proud to be an American” while reading some Garlic Festival history.
“It is an honor for us to be here and to be a part of this anniversary festival,” Noto said.
Christopher reminisced with Rotary members and reminded them the first year’s festival was actually held not too far from where everyone was eating Tuesday – at Bloomfield Ranch. The parking lot was planted in garlic and there were still some bulbs in the field when people came to park their cars.
“We had made a deal with the Gilroy Jaycees that for every car they parked, we would give them money,” Christopher said. “We were expecting 5,000 people and got 15,000.
“The Jaycees ended up making more money than the whole festival,” he joked.
The festival would not have gotten started if companies in Gilroy did not believe in it and were not willing to lend financial support, Christopher said. Companies like Goldsmith Seeds, Gilroy Foods and many others contributed money to get the festival on its feet. What began as a community effort is still a community cause to this day, with more than 4,000 volunteers from Gilroy raising money for their organizations.
“A resident of Gilroy can’t exist in this community without experiencing some form of benefit from Festival funds,” 2003 festival President Janie Mardesich said.
In the past 24 years, attendance has reached more than 2 million people coming from all over the world to enjoy Gourmet Alley with a prominent cooking contest, 60 live concerts, a fun-filled children’s area and more than 100 vendors selling merchandise. The total revenue generated for nonprofit organizations throughout the community over the past 24 years has reached a total of $6 million.
“It’s so nice being involved in something so successful,” Balsley said.
At the end of the luncheon, Mardesich addressed the room wearing her 2003 baseball-style festival shirt.
“It is so great to be involved in this event born out of passion,” Mardesich said. “We have worked very hard to honor our past with the goal of returning everything to the community.”
Mardesich told everyone to be prepared for another successful year.
Christopher then raised his glass to salute all of the past presidents for helping to make Gilroy the Garlic Capital of the World and Melone’s idea into a reality.
