The Gilroy Garlic Festival has selected its poster, and will crown a queen this weekend.
The annual Gilroy Garlic Festival Art Poster Contest receives submissions every year from across the country, but this year’s first-prize winner is a hometown artist, Chris Dufur.
Dufur will receive a $500 prize, and prints of his winning design will be available for sale during the 40th Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, July 27- 29.
The festival said Dufur had submitted three different entries in different styles. His winning poster was a traditional watercolor featuring a metal tub of fresh-picked garlic bulbs in a field against a backdrop of rolling green hills and trees.
This year, the festival poster committee received 33 entries from artists in Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Texas. Ruth Ann Irving of Gilroy won second place and a $250 prize. Third place and a $100 prize went to Deborah Walker Schwarz, also from Gilroy. And Gilroy’s own JoAnne Perez Robinson won $200 for the “Association’s Choice” prize, voted on by volunteer members of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association.
Every year since 1979, the Gilroy Garlic Festival has crowned a Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen to reign over the festivities. This year’s 40th annual Queen Pageant will be held at Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park on Sunday, May 6, 3pm at the Lakeside Amphitheater.
Ten contestants will be judged by a panel of five judges on personal interview, talent, a garlic speech, and on-stage question. The winner will be crowned Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival 2018 and receive a $1,000 prize. This year’s contestants include Searra Harding and Sloane Pace from Gilroy High School; Jennesa Andrade, Melinda Colbert and Lauryn Longoria from Christopher High School; Frida Arias from the Dr. TJ Owens Early College Academy; Adrianna Molina from Gavilan College; Sophia Bocher and Kylie Kuwada, both students at Cal Poly; and Marciel Gomez, who attends the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Kathleen Bendel was elected the very first Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen
For more information, go to gilroygarlicfestival.com.
