The year was 1991. It was 3 a.m. on an early July morning, and
while most Gilroy residents were still fast asleep, Garlic Festival
president Gene Sakahara had already finished his morning coffee,
and was busy interviewing with the CBS-TV network.
The year was 1991. It was 3 a.m. on an early July morning, and while most Gilroy residents were still fast asleep, Garlic Festival president Gene Sakahara had already finished his morning coffee, and was busy interviewing with the CBS-TV network.
“Everything goes good with garlic,” he told the reporter.
And Sakahara ought to know. He and longtime friend and fellow past president Sam Bozzo, created Pacific Rim garlic ginger chicken, which will be a new dish at Gourmet Alley this year.
Sakahara, who has lived in Gilroy his entire life, believes the festival represents pride in Gilroy and the community.
“I remember working in the garlic fields when I was young and coming home reeking of garlic. People used to be disgusted by the smell, and it was pretty hard to find a date,” Sakahara said. “We have taken the stinking rose and made it prestigious, and that’s something to be proud of.”
Years before he even imagined being president, Sakahara started his festival career volunteering for the Presbyterian Church with his children picking up trash. He later went on to run the shuttle busses for the Big Brothers Big Sisters association, and in 1986 he became the assistant chair of the wine tent.
As his presidency approached, so did the recession of the early ’90s. Sakahara’s fear was that he was throwing a huge party and no one was going to come. Instead, many people chose to take the one-day vacation to Gilroy, and the festival was a huge success. That same year, Sakahara had the pleasure of signing the $250,000 check to create the ranch side of Christmas Hill Park.
“It was such a thrill!” he said. “Going from being anxious that no one was going to show up, to being able to give back so much to the community was a great feeling.”
Sakahara also strongly believes the festival’s strength is organization and the team work that goes into putting it on.
“I have been to a lot of food festivals, and I have never seen a group that works so well together as ours,” he said.
In order to keep the festival successful for years to come, Sakahara said, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association needs to stay competitive by adding new entertainment attractions and gourmet garlic dishes, as well as keep it family oriented.
“Our focus is on the family,” he said, “from the little ones to the senior citizens, and we have always kept that in mind.”
Sakahara commends the Garlic Festival Association for constantly analyzing itself, maintaining what is working and improving what needs help.
Being the president has its obligations and is a very time-consuming job, but Sakahara wasn’t alone – it was a family affair. During his presidency, his daughter Gena shadowed him and helped with radio messages, while his wife Kathryn scheduled volunteer hours and his son Tim was busy breaking down boxes at the wine tent.
“My family has always been involved in the festival and will continue to be for a long time,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, but we have such a blast volunteering.”
Sakahara claims the excitement of the festival goes far beyond the three days in the park. He and Bozzo have co-hosted the Garlic Festival Queen Pageant for several years and enjoy the barbecues, banquets and benefits that lead up to July. After his presidency, Sakahara thought “What can I do to stay involved?” He stirred up the answer with a little help from a pinch of basil and a few cloves of garlic.
“After my good friend Sam and I were done being the chiefs, we turned into chefs at the cooking stage since we both loved to do it so much,” Sakahara said.
