Hot rod lovers gearing up for summer car shows should pencil in
the Garlic City Fun Run.
Gilroy – Hot rod lovers gearing up for summer car shows should pencil in the Garlic City Fun Run.
The ninth annual event, scheduled for July 14, is expected to attract hundreds of eye-popping cars to downtown Monterey Street and will offer a few ticklers for the city’s famed Garlic Festival, which follows two weeks later.
“This is going to be showing off our new streets and our new sidewalks,” said Steve Ashford, a downtown business owner and one of the event organizers. “This is definitely an event you’re not going to want to miss. We’ve got big sidewalks and lots of things planned.”
A slew of classic cars, jeeps, so-called “rock crawlers” and other vehicles will have more space to maneuver this year, thanks to a downtown remodeling that eliminated a winding median along Monterey Street. Sprawling new sidewalks offer plenty of room for vendors to lay out booths and visitors to camp out in chairs.
This year’s events include a performance by the Cocktail Monkeys, one of Santa Cruz’s hottest bands, and drinks from local breweries and vineyards. A number of the city’s auto dealerships will display hybrids, sport utility vehicles and sports cars. And visitors who arrive in hot rods can get free shuttles to the Gilroy Premium Outlets.
“The wives kind of get bored listening to their husbands talking about cars,” Ashford said. “This will be something extra for them to do.”
This year’s event also features Garlic Festival traditions old and new. The flaming Garlic Bulb will again be lit at the Fun Run this year before relocating to Christmas Hill Park for the weekend festival at the end of July. Visitors can also sample garlic fries, the newest addition to menu at Gourmet Alley, the massive food operation that feeds tens of thousands of festival-goers over a three-day weekend.
To register to show a car at the Fun Run, call Ashford at 842-8236. The $35 registration fee includes a free T-shirt.
