gmhTODAY 20 gmhToday June July 2018 | Page 73

Shaun O ' Neale

Michael Symon

102,667 Attendance

$ 11.5 Million has gone back to the community since 1979 — $ 275,000 last year

146 Charities and non-profit organizations received benefits

60 Food / Beverage vendors 100 Arts & Crafts vendors

4,000 Volunteers 60 Chairpeople 9 Board Members

Brian Boitano

Champion Chefs on the Cook-Off Stage

This year the Festival has invited some of the culinary world ’ s greatest superstars to the Garlic Cook-Off Stage to join in the 40th annual celebration . On Friday , July 27 , MasterChef Season 7 Winner Shaun O ’ Neale will be back to serve as emcee for the Champions for Charity cooking competition and will also do his own cooking demonstration on the Garlic Cook-Off Stage .

On his trip to the Garlic Capital of the World last year , Shaun O ’ Neale was especially impressed by the fact that the Festival is run almost entirely by volunteers working to raise money for local schools and charities . “ The Gilroy Garlic Festival should be the platform for how food festivals are run around the world ,” said O ’ Neale . “ Garlic for everyone !”

On Saturday , Olympic champion and television chef Brian Boitano — who grew up just up the road in Sunnyvale — will be making his Gilroy Garlic Festival debut . No stranger to performing under pressure , Boitano will emcee the high-stakes Great Garlic Cook-Off and then do a cooking demonstration on the Garlic Cook-Off Stage , sharing one of his own favorite recipes and answering questions from the audience .

Boitano is of course best known as the champion figure skater who won Olympic Gold in 1988 . He has also gained fame as a chef and TV personality , having hosted the Food Network show What Would Brian Boitano Make ? and published a popular cookbook of the same name . His recipes are designed for people with active lifestyles who care about nutrition but also enjoy eating great food .

Over the last 40 years , the Gilroy Garlic Festival has welcomed many famous celebrity chefs to the Garlic Cook-Off Stage , but has never hosted a true Iron Chef — until now ! On Sunday , Iron Chef Michael Symon will emcee the Garlic Showdown at high noon on the Garlic Cook-Off Stage , then perform a live cooking demonstration , answer questions from the audience , and sign autographs .

Growing up in a Greek and Sicilian family in Cleveland , Michael Symon creates boldly flavored , deeply satisfying dishes at his award-winning restaurants , which include Lola , Mabel ’ s BBQ , and Angeline . Michael also shares his exuberant , approachable cooking style and infectious laugh with viewers as an Iron Chef on the Food Network and as a co-host on ABC ’ s “ The Chew .”

Want a chance to meet these famous chefs in person ? Just go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival Facebook (@ garlicfestival ) or Twitter (@ GilroyGarlicFes ) pages and enter to win prize packages that include free Combo Plate admission tickets , a VIP shuttle to the Festival , seats right on the stage , a private photo session , and a garlic goodie bag !

40,000 Total volunteer hours 17,000 Volunteer hours in Gourmet Alley

Sign up as a group or individual at gilroygarlicfestival . com / about / volunteering /

• Souvenir Shops Added

• Grown from 15,000 visitors in 1979 to over 100,000 per year now .

• Children ’ s Area expanded and moved closer to Amphitheater in 2017

• New outdoor Wine Garden moved to mulberry grove ( no longer inside tent ) in 2017 .

• Cook-Off Stage now features cooking competitions and celebrity chefs all three days ; live video shown on JumboTron screens ; bleacher seating on three sides .

• Gourmet Alley now serves food on both Ranch Side and Park Side , with satellite booths for Garlic Fries , Zesty Fried Garlic Calamari , and Gilroy Garlic Shrimp .

• Many improvements through-out Christmas Hill Park , including Amphitheater stage and more shaded seating areas .

• Sponsorship opportunities for local businesses ; gilroygarlicfestival . com / sponsors / for details or call 408-842-1625 .

• Entertainment — continues to feature over 50 acts on three stages ( Amphitheater , Vineyard and Gazebo ) plus strolling musicians and entertainers in the Children ’ s Area .

GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN JUNE / JULY 2018 gmhtoday . com

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