Autumn Walker, 10, from Modesto, can't hold onto the bull as she rides it in the 2012 Teen Zone.

Bay Area teens, rejoice! The Gilroy Garlic Festival’s Teen Zone is back for it’s second year due to popular demand.
“It was very successful,” Executive Director Brian Bowe of the Gilroy Garlic Festival said. “It was even more successful that we had hoped.”
After grabbing some garlic fries with the parentals – maybe before if you have a weak stomach – teens can explore a slice of the Garlic Festival customized just for them.
The 250-foot-long zip line, the whirling, twirling Orbitron and the rambunctious mechanical bull are back this year and they are bringing a new friend. The 2013 festival will see the addition of the Euro Bungee, an attraction that straps riders in by their waist and gives them the ability to jump 30 feet in the air.
The rides require tickets that can be purchased for $1 per ticket, $20 for a sheet of 24 or 50 tickets for $38. These can be used in the Teen Zone and Children’s Area.  
After taking flight on the Euro Bungee, teens can test their strength at the Mash A Mouse game or visit the Airbrush Tattoo booth to get some sweet new ink. (You can even freak out mom and dad in the process, which is always fun.)
A long day of jumping, zipping, spinning and bucking in the hot summer sun can work up quite the appetite. Teens can cool down with the new soft serve ice cream station – served in cone, cup or waffle form – or  grab a drink from the Coca-Cola and water booth.
Feeling tuckered out but not ready to stop the fun?  The brand new Sugar Shack may have just what you’re looking for. Here you’ll find energizing treats such as cotton candy and Carmel apples in addition to festival staples like corn dogs, popcorn and nachos.
The Teen Zone is located in the back end of the park, past the amphitheater in a previously unused space.
“We haven’t had anything at all back there in the last several years,” Bowe said. “This was great for the older kids.”

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