It was a year the writer George Orwell made famous in his novel
about Big Brother watching everyone, but there was nothing
Orwellian about the Gilroy Garlic Festival in 1984 when John
Blaettler served as the president.
It was a year the writer George Orwell made famous in his novel about Big Brother watching everyone, but there was nothing Orwellian about the Gilroy Garlic Festival in 1984 when John Blaettler served as the president.
The certified public accountant based in Gilroy had been involved with the festival since its first year in various aspects, but mainly the finance area. He served as the finance chairman for two years. Besides the Gilroy Garlic Festival, he also volunteers in the Gilroy Rotary, Gilroy Foundation and St. Joseph’s Family Center.
“I got on the (festival) board for a couple of years and then became president,” he recalls. “At that point, we were tweaking various aspects of (the festival). Improving the parking and fine-tuning various different aspects of it and expanding booths and working on improving the quality of those.”
What does Blaettler remember about 1984’s festival?
“I made it through. I ate a lot of food that year,” he said with a laugh.
The only real snag he remembers were some challenges in closing down on Sunday evening. But that didn’t detract from the overall success of the festival.
As seen through an accountant’s eyes, the festival is quite an undertaking, so it’s amazing how it always comes off every year. One way of looking at the Garlic Festival is as a corporation made up of more than 4,000 workers who come together for three days each year, set up the festival infrastructure, and entertain about 125,000 guests from around the world.
And somehow, despite the inevitable unexpected glitches, it always comes through.
“I think one of the greatest things they did in the beginning was the way they structured the leadership and the requirement of turnover for the chairs coming through the festival,” Blaettler said. “And I think they seem to be progressing forward in a great way in managing and attracting more people and getting people to come back.”
The required turnover of leadership is important in minimizing burn-out, he said. And the festival association’s strategic planning group, made up of past presidents, provides wisdom-from-experience advice that keeps the planning consistent with the spirit of the event.
A third ingredient for success is the high-quality the festival demands in what it offers guests, Blaettler said.
“I think the quality of the festival they put on and the quality of the venders and the entertainment they attract is critical,” he said. “I think the great job they’ve done with quality and security issues, making sure there isn’t problems with safety and gangs, makes people feel safe about coming.”
As with any major event, good financial planning is crucial to make sure of the long-term life of the festival, he said.
“They’re incredibly strong,” he said of the festival’s finances.
“They (the festival association) have gone through some downturns in the economy. They have downturns in the attendance. But they have a strong reserve to protect themselves for the future. … They’re always looking at things on what they can improve financially.”
A major part of the festival’s draw is that the volunteers have a good time there, and their lively spirit creates a fun time for the crowds.
“It’s being part of a big party,” he said. “There’s a lot of comradeship because people like working with the same people.”
