The History of the Garlic City Car Show - Continued
Carl shared that during the event set up , he and fellow organizers started to get nervous when they realized they didn ’ t have enough parking available for the number of cars that were arriving . Public safety requirements called for enough clearance for fire trucks or emergency vehicles ( if needed ), to drive down the street . He worked with the Fire Marshal on solving the problem , and eventually it was determined they could park the cars in a single row near the center of the street .
The 23rd Annual Garlic City Car Show was held on Saturday , June 17th . Attendees enjoyed two music stages , hundreds of custom and classic cars lining both sides of Monterey Hwy . between 3rd and 7th Streets . The event featured a wide variety of food vendors , family-friendly activities , and local businesses offering food and a variety of items for purchase . Once again the car show was a huge success , drawing hundreds of attendees from all over the region .
SVSR and the Downtown Business Association weren ’ t sure what to expect for that first show . Would people show up ? Would any cars show up ? Not to worry , the show ended up being a tremendous success with some 360 cars participating , and hundreds of car enthusiasts attending . Profits SVSR made from the show were donated to various charities in the area and to scholarships for Gilroy High School students , making the event a win for the community . The rest , they say , is local history !
South Valley Street Rods ran the Garlic City Fun Run for the first five years . In year six , the Gilroy Downtown Business Association took over for a 10 year run . Since 2016 , the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce has managed the event , changing the name to its current Garlic City Car Show . In 2019 , the TV show “ My Classic Car ” with Dennis Gage came to Gilroy to produce a segment of the show at the event . It was a great segment and is always fun to watch . You can find the video at the Chamber of Commerce website : www . gilroy . org / garliccitycarshow
Each year , the Garlic City Car Show helps promote the local economy , creating an environment for car enthusiasts and their families to enjoy a beautiful day outdoors with cool cars , good food , fun vendors , and great music . This year ' s event did not disappoint . In fact , it was a blast !
In closing , not only do I now live in this beautiful state I used to read so much about as a youth , I also live in the great city of Gilroy where we have had this phenomenal car show every year since 2001 for all to enjoy ( minus pandemic years 2020 / 21 ). I can think of nothing better .
Cheers !
LOWER LEFT : Cool rides lined the streets at the 2023 Garlic City Car Show . LOWER RIGHT : Local car guy and gmhTODAY Contributor John Thomas and his furry pal Savannah cruise Monterey Road , looking for their spot to park John ' s 33 in preparation for the 15th Annual Garlic City Car Show in 2016 . In 2023 the event is alive and well !
68 SUMMER 2023 gmhTODAY Magazine : Go . Make history ... gmhtoday . com