GILROY
– They came from Georgia and they traveled from Vancouver. Some
came from as far as down the street. However long the trip, almost
all 25 past presidents came together to work at or just enjoy the
silver anniversary of the Garlic Festival.
GILROY – They came from Georgia and they traveled from Vancouver. Some came from as far as down the street. However long the trip, almost all 25 past presidents came together to work at or just enjoy the silver anniversary of the Garlic Festival.
Past president Lanny Brown (1995) reminisced about the spirit of the festival.
“For me, the 25th anniversary brought back the spirit of Rudy (Melone),” he said. Melone was one of the founders of the festival in 1978.
Brown mentioned another festival forefather, Val Filice.
“He’s the godfather,” Brown said. “He just embodies the meaning of the festival.”
Filice can still be found sampling and stirring sauces in Gourmet Alley. Past presidents Jeff Martin (1998) and Randy Costa (1999) could also be found in Gourmet Alley, whipping up woks and woks of the new chicken stir-fry dish.
“It has been great seeing everyone,” said Martin as he quickly filled bowls with garlic ginger chicken stir fry.
“You know a lot of people got involved with this festival because it is such a good time,” Costa added.
Friday’s opening ceremonies brought presidents from the past two decades together decked out in the baseball jerseys that were this year’s official Garlic Festival T-shirts. Also present was Melone’s wife, Gloria, who makes the trip from San Francisco for the festival each year.
“I always look forward to this day to see my friends,” she said. “I don’t know of any other community in the world who comes together and not get a penny of money for themselves, and come out here and do what they do.”
She hosted a cooking show with their son later in the festival.
“It’s really nice to see everyone,” past president Leonard Hale (1985) said. “Some of these people I haven’t seen in years.”
Kurt Chacon, president in 2002, agreed.
“There is quite a collection of people here,” he said.
While some are educators and others sell real estate, they all have a garlicky common interest, said past president Sam Bozzo (1990).
“It’s always a great reunion when we get together,” Bozzo said. “One of the things Rudy wanted this festival to do was bring the community together, and you can really see that when we all get together.”
Former festival presidents socialized over breakfast burritos Sunday morning at a special breakfast. Presidents that returned also included Peggy Burris-Suyeyasu (1996) and Glenn Suyeyasu (1987) from Napa and Bob Miller, who left Gilroy years ago and decided the 25th anniversary was reason enough to make the cross-country trip from Greensboro, Ga. Miller was one of only three past presidents who was once in charge of Gourmet Alley. Ric Heinzen (2001), who joins Miller in the Gourmet Alley distinction, was excited to see him.
“It was just great to see Bob,” Heinzen said. “He put so much time into Gourmet Alley and having that as my background also, I really commend the work he has done in the past.”
Miller couldn’t help but feel the need to get his hands dirty in Gourmet Alley. Miller and his wife worked two shifts cooking up the new chicken dish.
After a weekend of small get-togethers, breakfast gatherings and the occasional beer at hospitality, the presidents gathered one final time at the past president’s barbecue Sunday night. The ballpark menu of hot dogs, potato salad and peanuts kept their stomachs full and they sang the garlic version of “Take Me Out to the Ball game” in honor of the newest past president Janie Mardesich.
“It’s definitely a night to celebrate,” Mardesich said. “We have shared a lot of memories over the years.”
