With a city budget straining at its seams, some residents feel
that maintaining Gilroy Gardens seems frivolous. They make the case
that a city that lays off police officers yet keeps an expensive
theme park has its priorities wrong.
With a city budget straining at its seams, some residents feel that maintaining Gilroy Gardens seems frivolous. They make the case that a city that lays off police officers yet keeps an expensive theme park has its priorities wrong.
I would argue the contrary. Don’t get me wrong: I feel the loss of those police officers. My heart goes out not only to them and their families, but also those who will feel the brunt of less protection while crime comes battering at their lives.
But Gilroy Gardens is an asset well worth fighting for. It’s an investment in children. As much as police officers can be seen as the antidote to misdeeds, a place like Gilroy Gardens constitutes prevention. Children need a place to stretch their legs, to laugh wildly, to learn about taking turns, to see colors and activity and the makings of daydreams … and maybe in some cases, watch the way other families work.
The horticultural side of Gilroy Gardens is important, too. Seeing the bright flowers and extraordinary circus trees enhance children’s senses just as much as the outsized swan paddleboats or the train that chugs its way through the park.
Perhaps just as significantly, Gilroy Gardens provides respite for parents. When my child was a fussy 1-year-old, sometimes I would just throw her in the car and voila! Mood change for both of us. We’d have a great afternoon, then return home happy and tired, ready for dinner and my big favorite: bedtime.
I’ve always been impressed with how immaculately clean and colorful Gilroy Gardens is. It’s not the kind of theme park that makes you worry about bringing home germs. All the rides look like they were built yesterday. Many cities would bend over backwards to have such a property.
So let’s address some of the problems.
1. Not all Gilroyans can go.
Let’s face it: the ticket price is too high for many. Since it’s Gilroy’s property, we should make sure all Gilroy families can go. In 2008, Gilroy Gardens sent every resident a postcard offering a season pass for something in the neighborhood of $29. Since that was basically the cost to go once – and incredibly reasonable given how often you can manage to go in one season – I jumped on it. This year, I waited for the same mailer and in fact contacted park management to ask if it would be coming. The offer had been discontinued. My mothers’ group, Las Madres, managed to get a bulk rate for our members, but I still felt bad for other families who would find the park’s season rate too expensive.
The best option is for the park to make season passes affordable to the city’s residents. The postcard was a great way to contact everyone and offer a realistic price. I’d love to see it back in the mail next year.
2. Gilroy Gardens is a “best-kept secret.”
I always feel conflicted when I drive into the parking lot and see it only a quarter full. On the one hand, I know we won’t have to wait to ride Bulgy the Goldfish, but my heart plummets knowing the park isn’t pulling in enough money. Gilroy Gardens really is a delicious secret – lots of people don’t know about it. I lived in Oakland for 13 years and only once heard mention of Bonfante Gardens (its name at the time) – and I assumed it was a rose garden or something that only adults would want to wander.
Oakland is a mere hour away. Why hadn’t I known what Bonfante Gardens really was? We travel there for their zoo … why shouldn’t Oaklanders (and San Franciscans and Haywardians and Fremonters and everyone else) come down here for what we offer?
The simple answer is: they don’t know about Gilroy Gardens. Advertising is expensive, yes, but there are ways around it. Send well-written press releases to other city’s media to get them interested in writing features on the park; that constitutes free advertising. Submit specific calendar items for rotating extras, like the recent bird show or petting zoo, so they can be listed in free community calendars in other cities. We get thousands of visitors to our annual Garlic Festival: offer a coupon upon festival entry that gives $10 off at the park. There. That’s three ideas right there, and that was me sitting at my computer for five minutes.
We can find ways to rescue Gilroy Gardens and make it profitable. We owe it to ourselves to do so.
Guest columnist Erika Mailman lives in Gilroy and is the author of two historical novels: “Woman of Ill Fame” and “The Witch’s Trinity.” Interested in writing a guest column? Contact Editor Mark Derry at ed****@ga****.com
