Gilroy Garlic Festival Firsts: What's New This Year

Patch is an official sponsor of the Gilroy Garlic festival. Stop by our booth and say hello. We'd love to meet you, and we'll have tons of Patch goodies to give away.

This is the Gilroy Garlic Festival's 33rd year, and there are 100,000 people from all over expected to come by to take part in the garlic loving good times.

Like years past, there will be live entertainment, food for sale and cooking demonstrations and competitions.

But this year, there are a few key things that are brand new to the festival:

• In terms of individuals, this year's festival is hosting Bravo TV’s Top Chef Angelo Sosa, who will be appearing all three days and culminating Sunday as the host of the garlic showdown: an Iron Chef-style show down, with the winner receiving $5,000.
• Young entertainer Kip Moore, a country star with a new rising song on the country charts “Mary Was the Marrying Kind." He plays live on Saturday at 12:45 p.m.
• As for the food, Chef’s on Gourmet Alley this year wanted to come up with some kind of "social networking food" to try to address the needs and interests of the younger demographics and came up with this: the Alley Wrap. This portable food has steak, shrimp, cilantro, cumin and garlic, all wrapped  in a lavash.
• And lastly, but definitely not the least is the grand premier of Proctor and Gamble's new Scope mouthwashes: Fresh Mint and Icy Mint. The idea behind this unveiling at this year's festival is to address the biggest fan concern of the festival's history: garlic breath. The mouthwash will be available through free samples all three days of the festival in a booth adjacent to the cook-off theater.

The 33rd annual Gilroy Garlic Festival is taking place at Christmas Hill Park; Gilroy, 30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101, from July 29 through July 31, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (gates close at 6 p.m.).

Tickets cost $17 for adult general admission, $8 for children ages 6-12, $8 for seniors 60+ and free for children 6 and younger. Discounted tickets can be purchased online or at all Raley’s, Bel Air and locations.