GILROY—Thousands of patrons enjoyed the exceptional weather and a family atmosphere of the Gilroy Garlic Festival this past weekend, which was complimented by the entertainment which came in many forms.
Cook-off contests and musical acts kept the crowd of around 100,000 entertained, while the aroma of great food kept the Garlic Festival chefs busy. But the true spirit of the festival is in its communal roots, employing 4,000 volunteers each year on behalf of over 160 non-profit groups in Gilroy and surrounding communities.
For some performers and contestants, the Garlic Festival takes on personal element as some proceeds and prize money is given back to the non-profits and to college scholarship funds.
The Garlic Bowl MMXV, a University Chef cook-off between top schools Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSU Chico, University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University, drew large crowds as sous chefs from each school competed by making two dishes for judges. The competition itself provides each school with $1,000 to be donated to their respective school for general tuition scholarship funds, all cooking towards the $5,000 first place prize.
Josh Grimes and Maurico Vallejo, both chefs for Santa Clara University by Bon Apetit, took down the prize money and trophy for the second year in a row, claiming the scholarship money for their school equaling $10,000 over two years.
“Two years in a row is ultimate bragging rights.” Grimes admitted after winning the contest Friday afternoon. “The job and this contest is just rewarding in itself, but the recognition of being the best feels great.”
Musical entertainers also found ways to give back to the fans and none had the crowds entertained more local talent Shane Dwight, a blues-rock vocalist and guitarist originally from Morgan Hill. Dwight headlined the Main Vineyard stage on Saturday and delighted a raucous dancing crowd of around 70, while captivating a seated audience of a few hundred more.
“Gilroy loves you!” several people shouted out to Dwight and his band, a songwriter with heavy Nashville country influence. He had the energy to be a favorite with blinding guitar solos and biting blues lyrics, which have been a staple at the festival for years. Dwight acknowledged the crowd with a hard-driving country-blues song, “I’m A Bad Man” off of his most recent album titled “This House”.
The self-proclaimed “bad-boy” embodied the spirit of the early evening party in the park. He gave a strong performance, which invited anyone to forget their sunburns or fatigue and rock along with Texas R&B solos reminiscent of SRV. Dwight delighted and helped to top off a successful Saturday allowing people who had enjoyed a day of delicious food to dance off the garlic calories.
