A delegation of civic-minded residents and dignitaries from
across the globe will soon arrive in the city for a taste of the
Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Gilroy – A delegation of civic-minded residents and dignitaries from across the globe will soon arrive in the city for a taste of the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
The cultural exchange program conducted by the Gilroy Sister Cities Association connects Gilroy with half a dozen cities in Europe, Asia and the North Pacific. This year, 28 delegates will visit the city during the last weekend of July.
“It’s an exchange of cultures, a way for us to expose the cultures as much as we can of the communities that have had an influence on our community,” said Mayor Al Pinheiro. “And hopefully, we can improve ourselves through this exchange.”
Since 1988 Gilroy has received a delegation from Takko-Macchi, a city in Japan linked by both local residents and culture. Both cities, which originally became Sister Cities in 1988, share unique identities as garlic producers. This year Japan will send 14 representatives to Gilroy, comprised of people from the local government and officials who organize the city’s garlic festival.
The city will also receive dignitaries from three other of its six Sister Cities, including Tecate, Mexico; Saint Clar, France; and Angra do HeroÃsmo, Portugal, the newest city to join Gilroy’s growing list of international partners. In past years, representatives have also come to Gilroy from sister cities Monticelli d’Ongina, Italy, and Koror, Palau, in the northwest Pacific Ocean.
Mayor Al Pinheiro already has taken the lead in cultivating relationships between Gilroy and its Sister Cities. Pinheiro, who was born in Angra do HeroÃsmo before moving to California at the age of 12, took time last summer to formalize the relationship with his birthplace during a signing ceremony in Angra do Heroismo.
This year, that city’s mayor and a handful of other representatives will visit the area. The delegation will include folklore musicians who will perform for the public at the Portuguese Hall, off Sixth Street, at 7pm, July 28. Tickets for the dinner and performance cost $25.
“I think it’s just the beginning,” Pinheiro said. “It’s an opportunity to share cultures between the cities, their different viewpoints. All of that is part of the cultural exchange. If we’re global and we believe in the roots planted in this city by the Japanese, the Spanish, the Italians, all of that, that’s all part of the beginnings of the city. Why not continue to foster that and at the same time learn something from each other?”
He said such relationships can benefit cities in unexpected ways.
The foreign visitors will begin their visit with a cocktail party on July 26 followed the next morning by introductions at the opening ceremonies of the Garlic Festival. They will also share bits of their culture at the event. Festival-goers can learn about Gilroy’s international partners at Sister City Row, a string of booths offering information on each country.
In years past, the level of interest in the Sister Cities program has varied depending on the level of interest by the mayor. As the city’s top leader, the mayor is responsible for maintaining ties with its overseas partners.
Perhaps more than any of his predecessors, Pinheiro has energized the Sister Cities program. In addition to partnering with new countries, Pinheiro has established the group as a formal nonprofit. But he said the group’s work is far from done. He hopes to create a new program that would bring 12 visitors – two from each of Gilroy’s sister cities – to the Garlic Capital each year.
