T
he fi rst Garlic Festival in 1979, was held on August 3-4 and was the
only Festival that was not at Christmas Hill Park. The fi rst location was
Bloomfi eld Ranch, west of the on-ramp to Highway 25 from 101 South.
The Beginning
Food items in Gourmet Alley were calamari, scampi, pasta con pesto,
broiled garlic mushrooms, garlic pepper steak sandwich and garlic bread. The
Jaycees took care of parking and a variety of community groups set up booths
to sell food and garlic-related items.
One of the event highlights was a tethered hot air balloon ride. However,
erratic winds cut this short. There was entertainment and a children’s area
on site, and a “big event” off-site Saturday night concert at the high school
featuring Larry Hosford, a popular bluegrass/country group and Johnny Rusk,
an Elvis impersonator. The Kiwanis Club hosted a breakfast. The Great Garlic
Gallop (10,000 meter race) finished at the back of the grounds so the runners
could go directly into the Festival. The first recipe contest was held at Gavilan
College but the winners were introduced on the Festival stage. Mimeographed
copies of the winning recipes were passed out at the Festival grounds.
Those who worked or attended the first Festival remember an
extraordinary energy. The organizers expected, at the most, 5,000 visitors
but 15,000 showed up! Parking was an issue and they ran out of many food
items in Gourmet Alley. People were sent to supermarkets in Gilroy, Morgan
Hill and Hollister to purchase all the butter, shrimp, calamari, bread, etc. they
Founders of the Festival:
Don Christopher, Val Filice
and Dr. Rudy Malone
could find. There was not enough water, restrooms, or space in general, but
people had fun.
That first Festival represented a rough start for an event that now is
In 1978, Dr. Rudy Malone, President of Gavilan
Community College; Don Christopher, the owner
of Christopher Ranch and recent founder of
the Fresh Garlic Association; and Val Filice, a
local farmer and chef found themselves willing
participants in an event that would defi ne their
relationship for the rest of their lives.
known all over the world and has definitely put Gilroy on the map. The initial
contribution of $15,000 to the community has grown to $11.5 million. It is
not a stretch to connect the sense of community and identity that visitors see
today to the great town party known of as the Gilroy Garlic Festival, that was
developed so long ago.
The steering committee that made that first festival become a reality
Dr. Malone came up with the original idea,
Christopher had the product that was becoming
Gilroy's main crop and Filice had the culinary
expertise—together they led a relatively small
group of community enthusiasts in the develop-
ment of a community event that would become
world-renowned and a source of pride for the
community of Gilroy.
included founders Dr. Rudy Malone, Don Christopher, Val Vilice and the
following: Lynda Trelut, Tim Filice, Bill Ayer, Norie Goforth, J. Chris Mickartz,
Carl Swank, Hy Miller, Bill Christopehr, Bob Dyer, Joseph Filice, Rose Emma
Pellicone, and David Sorenson. The first board of directors (1980) consisted
of Dr. Rudy Malone (president), Don Christopher (vice-president), Lynda Trelut
(secretary), Joe Filice (treasurer), Hy Miller and Dave Sorenson (directors).
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JUNE/JULY 2018
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