Gilroy
– Two marquis events. Hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Millions of dollars in business and charitable support. All on one
weekend. A lot is at stake this summer as Gilroy’s annual Garlic
Festival faces competition from the first San Jose Grand Prix.
Gilroy – Two marquis events. Hundreds of thousands of visitors. Millions of dollars in business and charitable support. All on one weekend. A lot is at stake this summer as Gilroy’s annual Garlic Festival faces competition from the first San Jose Grand Prix.
The race, which San Jose officials hope will be the first in an annual series that continues for a decade or more, will coincide with the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s traditional slot at the end of July. This year the events are both scheduled for July 29 to 31.
The most recent Garlic Festival drew more than 120,000 visitors and raised nearly a half million dollars for local charities. San Jose officials predict the grand prix race will draw a similar crowd over the same three-day period and will benefit the Canary Fund – a charity that supports research into the early detection of cancer.
Bob Singleton, vice president and general manager of the San Jose Grand Prix, said they scheduled the race for the same weekend because “it was the only open west coast date on the champ-car world series calendar.”
For the moment, officials in both cities remain optimistic about their respective events, saying they draw different crowds and will not undercut each other.
“The (festival’s) board of directors has discussed it and we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure there’s top-of-mind awareness for the Gilroy Garlic Festival,” said Joann Kessler, assistant executive director of the Garlic Festival. “We question whether or not it’s the same demographics.”
In looking over the three-day weekend, Kessler said that the first day of the Garlic Festival draws mostly local families, as well as hard-core garlic lovers who want to get their shopping done early. The weekend crowd, while still heavy on the locals, attracts a greater volume of out-of-town visitors.
The race-car circuit, on the other hand, has a large nomadic fan-base that follow in tow from one track to another.
“I don’t think (the grand prix) will draw away attendance from the Garlic Festival,” said Susan Valenta, president of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. “It may help to draw folks to the festival. It could end up being a plus. Again, because it’s their first year out, it’s hard to predict what kind of draw it will have.”
While the ultimate effect on attendance remains unclear, the benefits of Gilroy’s annual charity event are more certain. Last year, the festival – which began in 1979 – raised $225,000 for 167 local charities, as well as $250,000 for the construction of the Gilroy High School student center.
The city has not surveyed the benefits to local business in recent years, according to Kessler, but she said “obviously there’s an impact with people coming into town. All of the motels are full. The restaurants do great business. There’s that trickle-down effect.”
The lesson has not been lost on San Jose officials.
“We know that our downtown businesses, hotels, and restaurants will see a gain,” said Vossbrink, spokesman for San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales. He said that last minute plans to relocate the race course “to the heart of our downtown will really show off our city to the international community that follows racing.”
The original course looped around the HP Pavilion and passed under Highway 87. The new course passes the city’s convention center, technology museum, and a half dozen hotels.
Event organizers said they hope to work with the Garlic Festival on cross-promotional advertising so both events can raise interest outside their normal fan base.
“The Garlic Festival has been a terrific festival for the region for decades and is well established,” Vossbrink said. “I think there’s plenty of room for other events. I imagine that folks who are interested in both car racing and the Garlic Festival will find a way to make it a great weekend for both of them.”
The Gilroy Garlic Festival costs $10 per day for admission. To learn more, visit www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.
Tickets for the San Jose Grand Prix range in price from $25 for a single day to $150 for a Gold Grandstand pass, which includes three-day seats directly above pit lane. To learn more, visit www.sanjoségrandprix.com.
2004 Gilroy Garlic Festival
Day by day Attendance Revenue
Friday 24,162 $357,431
Sat. 55,377 $607,481
Sun. 43,136 $459,628
Totals 122,675 $1,424,540
