Gilroy Garlic Festival 2.0 opens its second year today, bringing the smells and tastes of the celebrated clove to the Hecker Pass Outdoor Events Center in Gilroy.
The festival’s initial 40-year run in the south Santa Clara County city ended in tragedy after a fatal mass shooting on the last day of the 2019 festival.
The world-renowned event resumed last year at a new location, about a mile from its original home in Gilroy’s Christmas Hill Park. Tickets for the July 24-26 celebration are $35.
“The Gilroy Garlic Festival has always been a celebration of both garlic and our local community,” said Alex Misa, President of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association. “We’re excited to welcome everyone back… for incredible food, community spirit, and family fun.”
The rejuvenated festival continues a tradition of delivering unique culinary experiences and community charity. Attendees can feast on signature dishes prepared by the world-famous Pyro Chefs, including garlic scampi and calamari, along with festival favorites like pasta con pesto, pepper steak sandwiches, garlic fries and garlic bread.
The festival also features live music cooking demonstrations, garlic braiding and topping contests, a wine tent, beer garden, arts and crafts vendors, and a wide variety of food and beverage offerings—as well as the event’s signature free garlic ice cream.
Since its founding in 1979, the Gilroy Garlic Festival has raised more than $12 million in support of local schools, charities and nonprofit organizations, according to the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association. The event is powered by volunteers.
For tickets and additional information, visit gilroygarlicfestival.com.
Gilroy Dispatch Photo
Tuesday, July 28, marks the seventh year since the 2019 shooting, and it’s the last day that victims of the 2019 Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting and their families can apply for financial reimbursement from the California Victim Compensation Board.
Those who qualify may receive up to $70,000 in victims’ compensation, and victims of violent crimes can apply for compensation up to seven years after the incident that left them physically or mentally injured.
On July 28, 2019, a Gilroy teenager, 19-year-old Santino Legan, crawled through a chain link fence and opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle killing three and injuring 17 people. Legan killed himself as he was shot by Gilroy Police officers minutes after the shooting.
Three people were killed: 6-year-old Stephen Romero of Gilroy, 13-year-old Keyla Salazar of San Jose and Trevor Irby, 25, of Santa Cruz. A plaque at the site ofthe shooting in Christmas Hill Park memorializes the tragedy.
Other attendees at the festival ranging in age from 12 to 69 were injured on that day, 11 for gunshot wounds and eight with other injuries. Hundreds of others continue to suffer from the severe trauma of the event.
As of June 1, the state board said it has approved 652 applications for compensation.
“If you or a loved one was affected by this tragedy, we encourage you to apply before the July 28 deadline,” said Lynda Gledhill, executive officer for the victims compensation board. “Once an application is approved, benefits are lifelong and can be accessed when needed. Healing takes time, and victims deserve to be supported through this process.”
The family members of those killed may qualify for funeral and burial reimbursement, support loss and mental health treatment. Those who were injured or witnessed the mass shooting may qualify for benefits, including mental health treatment, medical bills, income loss and more.
Victims can apply at online.victims.ca.gov/, or through a Victim Witness Assistance Center (VWAC) in their county. For a list of centers in Santa Clara County, visit tinyurl.com/mr44sdt3.
Gilroy Garlic Festival victims may also receive help from the Mariposas Resiliency Center, located at 7365 Monterey Road in Gilroy. This organization, formerly called the Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center, was started in 2020 to provide long-term support for survivors, first responders and other community members impacted by the Gilroy Garlic Festival mass shooting.
In 2023, the organization rebranded to the Mariposas Resiliency Center, received a $1.1 million Trauma Recovery Center grant from CalVCB, and began helping survivors of all violent crimes. In 2025, the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office received a $2.1 million grant from CalVCB to continue providing trauma-informed mental health treatment through the Mariposas Resiliency Center.
Contact the Mariposas Resiliency Center by calling 408.209.8356. Additional information is available on CalVCB’s website.
In the first year after the mass shooting, the Gilroy Foundation raised nearly $2 million for victims.
