The Great Stink

Festivals are always named after their theme. The Cannes film festival and the Rockport Chamber Music Festival are just what they seem to be. Burning Man is about embracing the counter culture that culminates in burning an effigy of a man. But there are some festivals that not only have a descriptive name but also have an apt nickname. The Gilroy Garlic festival, commonly referred to as “The Great Stink” is one that falls into the latter category.

Mind you, there is nothing stinky about garlic if you’re from the area. If one is driving down the highway, one can tell that they entered Gilroy city limits by the odor wafting through the air conditioning unit. Indeed, the smell is inescapable as one window shops in the downtown and surrounding areas. It would be imminently suitable to nickname the entire city as the Great Stink, not just the festival. For garlic lovers, of which I am one, the smell is heavenly.

Over 100,000 people come to the festival every year to partake in garlic steak, garlic chicken stir-fry, garlic stuffed mushrooms or roasted corn-on-the-cob with garlic butter. Some braver folks will taste garlic ice cream or garlic chocolate. Still others will walk away with garlic mayonnaise, pickled garlic and garlic pesto - ready to try them on recipes from their new garlic cookbooks. Dedicated visitors will pick up their souvenirs of the event that is now in its 26th year.

Here, there are no chasings of greased pigs, but there is a mad garlic-dash similar to an Easter egg hunt. There are no apple pie baking competitions but there is a cookoff. There is no three-legged race, but there is a garlic pealing competition. All of it being family friendly, olfactorically stimulating and gastronomically adventurous.

Because of this festival, I can enjoy my garlic flavored cashew nuts, ponder a recipe for garlic jam while wearing my garlic shaped cap. I just hope my neighbors on my flight don’t mind the stink!