Ruben Perez is Gilroy ' s Town Crier
Sharing Local History, Current Events and Good Vibes
by Gilroy • Morgan Hill TODAY
Every town has“ that one person” who somehow knows everything happening before anyone else does. In Gilroy, that person is Ruben Perez. Our unofficial town crier. Ruben is one part historian, one part cheerleader, and our roaming ambassador of good vibes.
Town Criers of old were armed with a lamp and a bell and would usually begin their announcements with“ Hear ye, hear ye” Ruben has no bell, no lamp, and occasionally begins his social media posts with“ Oye, Oye”( Listen up). He is armed with a cell phone for taking pictures and posting clips of local history. He has a talent for digging through the Gilroy Museum like it’ s his personal treasure chest.
“ I physically looked through every issue of the Gilroy Dispatch from 1961 to 1974.” He recently shared on social media.
Ruben keeps the community updated on everything from chili cook-offs to art shows, from concerts to grand openings. He unearths old newspaper clippings, scans long-forgotten photos, and posts them online with enthusiastic“ shout outs” to anyone who might be in the picture— or who might know someone who knows someone who’ s in the picture.
Ruben is the person who can make a 1967 Bonanza Days parade photo go viral on a Wednesday.
But his talents don’ t stop at time travel. Ruben is also one of the fiercest promoters of local restaurants, shops, musicians, and events. If you’ ve opened a new bakery, launched a band, or started a fundraising raffle, chances are Ruben has already told the entire town about it … and he did it with a smile and a fun fact about what stood on that corner in 1932.
In a digital world filled with doomscrolling and disconnection, Ruben brings the antidote: good cheer, great stories, and the contagious enthusiasm of someone who truly loves where he lives. His over 1,200 social media friends and followers don’ t just get updates— they get a daily reminder that Gilroy is more than a place. It’ s a community with heart, humor, history … and one very dedicated unofficial town crier making sure none of us miss the fun.
Long live Ruben Perez, Gilroy’ s modern-day town crier— the bringer of news, nostalgia, and garlic-flavored good times. Follow him on social media for news of old, current events, and much more.
Ruben ' s Facebook can be found here: https:// www. facebook. com / ruben. perez. 391— gmhTODAY
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