For the first time, festival organizers are inviting anyone to
design this year’s bobble-headed
”
Herbie.
”
Think you have what it takes?
GILROY
The Garlic Festival just got a bit more democratic.
For the first time, the Garlic Festival Association is asking the public to submit designs for the popular garlic-headed bobble doll known as “Herbie.” The 8-inch figurine has become a symbol of the festival, which this year takes place July 25 to 27, since its inception in 2002.
Last year, Herbie, affectionately named after the aromatic bulb he resembles, sported a basketball jersey with a towel draped over his right shoulder thanks to Karen Scorsur, chair of the festival’s retail committee. The retail chair has traditionally designed the hot item, but this year Scorsur will consider garlic-lovers’ entries and decide the winner along with five other GFA employees and its board of directors.
“The community is why we’re here, so let’s let it design Herbie for us,” Scorsur said. “We have high expectations, but we have no expectations because we’ve never done anything like this, so I have no idea what to expect, but it should be something that represents community togetherness, something original.” She added that the judges will not be partial to local entrants: “It’s also about what the festival means to our visitors, our guests who come from all around.”
Since Herbie has to be in production by April 1 to allow time for the hand-painting of his 3,000-or-so clones, Scorsur said the GFA will select a winner toward the end of March. That person will receive four tickets to the festival, four meal vouchers to Gourmet Alley and a complimentary Herbie.
GFA Executive Director will also cast a vote next month, and he agreed that the design should reflect the festival’s camaraderie.
“Herbie should definitely be fun and care-free with a joyful look that represents the festival,” Bowe said. “He’s meant to bring a smile to everyone’s face, so his design should reflect that.”
While he loves all four of the Herbies, Bowe’s said his favorite was the white-coated chef version from 2006, which “will always have a special place in my heart because that was my first year as executive director … I’m a backyard chef myself.”
Scorsur, who also works as a surgical nurse at Saint Louise Regional Hospital, said the dapper 2004 Herbie was her favorite so far. That year the garlic stud donned a tuxedo in honor of the festival’s 25th anniversary, which drew a record crowd of more than 130,000 people.
“He looked so elegant, like a contradiction with his ruffled hair and the tuxedo,” Scorsur said.
The festival’s annual poster is the only other democratic competition, but patrons vote on that item each year. That piece of art and Herbie have helped the event, which is organized and run by more than 4,000 local volunteers, raise nearly $8 million for local charities and programs since it began in 1979.
Herbie’s first outfit was a pair of overalls and a T-shirt; he sold out in less than one hour that year. Organizers expect Herbie to once again sell for $13 a piece, but the dolls have fetched double that amount on online auction site eBay. For more information about the festival, visit www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.
How to enter
Entry dates: Feb. 22 – March 14
Mail entries to: Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, 7473 Monterey St., Gilroy, Ca 95020
Guidelines
Head should remain unchanged
Simple body design without small attachments like pitch forks that could break off
Avoid intricate clothing patterns because each Herbie is hand painted
Describe your idea in detail if you can’t draw
