Gilroy Garlic Festival

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is a three-day festival in Gilroy, a town in the south of Santa Clara County, California, set in a farming area known for garlic processing. Its organisers describe it as “a three-day celebration of great garlicky food, live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, and community pride”.

The 2027 festival is set for Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July 2027, at the Hecker Pass Outdoor Events Center, 3050 Hecker Pass Highway, west of the town centre. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm each day. The festival is run by the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, a volunteer-run non-profit.

When this page was checked, on 29 September 2026, the organisers had published the dates, hours and venue, and asked visitors to check back in 2027 for more information. Ticket prices, the food line-up and the programme for 2027 were not yet online.

What to eat

• Garlic dishes. Garlic is the main ingredient here, not a seasoning in the background. The 2027 list of food stands is not published yet.
• Cooking demonstrations. The organisers list them among the three days’ attractions, so watching a dish being made is part of the visit.

Practical tips

• Tickets. The festival is a separately ticketed event, and each ticket is valid for one day only. Prices for 2027 were not yet published.
• Hours. 10 am to 6 pm on all three days.
• Heat. July days in inland Santa Clara County are usually hot and dry: bring water, a hat and sun protection.
• Getting there. The events center is on Hecker Pass Highway (State Route 152), west of US Highway 101.
• Where to stay. Gilroy has hotels near the highway. San Jose, to the north, is the larger base.