By Nicole Urso
GILROY
– Garlic Festival President John Zekanoski had one last day to
enjoy his throne.
After a year of arduous preparation, Zekanoski, just like every
other preceding president, had but three days of festivities to
witness the fruits of his labor before passing the torch to next
year’s leader.
By Nicole Urso
GILROY – Garlic Festival President John Zekanoski had one last day to enjoy his throne.
After a year of arduous preparation, Zekanoski, just like every other preceding president, had but three days of festivities to witness the fruits of his labor before passing the torch to next year’s leader.
He started early Sunday by having breakfast with representatives from Takko-Machi, one of Gilroy’s five sister cities, who are invited to the festival each year. Then he made his way to the fairgrounds for some more meet and greet with volunteers and guests.
Most of Zekanoski’s presidential duties involved planning activities and coordinating committees months before the fire chefs in Gourmet Alley lit their first flames. So when the festival finally arrived, Zekanoski got to play the part of “head cheerleader.” His main job was to root everyone on as they cooked the food and served guests.
“When people feel good about themselves they do well at their job,” he said. “And that’s my job.”
Anytime he was congratulated on a job well done, Zekanoski quickly deflected the praise and accredited someone else’s dedication and talent for making the event successful.
During the festival, Zekanoski would typically be found playfully razzing volunteer workers or talking with vendors. His favorite part about being Garlic Festival president was flashing his badge at all the gates for V.I.P. access into Gourmet Alley and other inaccessible hot spots. And after the guests went home, the festival was his playground.
On Saturday evening, Zekanoski strapped on his rollerblades to test out the Got Milk Gravity Tour ramp then skated around the empty booths.
Zekanoski’s tenure as president comes after years of dedication to the Garlic Festival. He started out as a volunteer on the utilities committee, then became its chairman, and was finally nominated and elected to be president for 2004.
Zekanoski moved from New England to Gilroy 18 years ago and has attended 17 consecutive Garlic Festivals. He said it would have been 18 if he hadn’t been on his honeymoon.
“He’s one of those chairpeople that you knew would be president one day,” Garlic Festival Vice President Jennifer Speno said. “It makes me very proud to talk about John as his friend and as someone who works with him.”
Speno will become Queen of the Cloves as next year’s president.
At the onset of his presidency, Zekanoski set out to complete several goals. One of them was to make the famous flaming garlic bulb a Bay Area icon. In an effort to do this, he hauled the giant herb from location to location in the back of his pick-up truck whenever there was an opportunity for a photo opportunity. In the evenings, Zekanoski’s wife would come home to find the enormous bulb sitting in the driveway and would just shake her head.
“So I lived with this bulb for a week,” he said. “I’d be driving down (U.S.) 101 with the bulb in the back of my truck and everyone would be honking and cheering.”
Anyone who knows Zekanoski agrees that living with the giant garlic was more of a presidential perk for him than anything else. They would also tell you his lighthearted humor and good nature allows him to find the fun in any situation and that his energy is infectious.
“He’s awesome. Absolutely the best,” said Mike Smith who worked on the advisory committee. “He’s a great leader and he tells some pretty good jokes too.”
Zekanoski will now join the league of past presidents, which basically amounts to typical volunteer status with a fancy badge.
“I’m going to have a hard time going back to the grass, sitting there eating my garlic fries,” he said.
