30th Annual Garlic Festival Set for Fun

I love garlic. Seriously, I love garlic more than a lot of my friends and family members. I have a stock of minty chewing gum in my purse for anytime I need it after eating a garlic-laden meal, usually ones I cook myself. The odorous bulb has been a staple in my kitchen for as long as I can remember. How thrilling (and disappointing, because I'm all the way in Florida) it was to discover that the 30th Annual Garlic Festival was underway in Gilroy, Calif.

I first heard of the huge garlic fest through the Food Network. The culinary television aired a special about the festival in humble Gilroy, which boasts itself as the garlic capital of the world.

One of the most exciting features of the Gilroy Garlic Festival is the annual recipe contest and cook-off. Cooks from all over the U.S. meet and compete with signature dishes that must include at least six cloves of fresh garlic (or, for you culinary enthusiasts, three teaspoons minced garlic). According to the Gilroy Festival Web site, judging is based on "preparation, flavor, texture, creativity, appearance and use of garlic."

The competition will be judged by a variety of celebrity chefs, including TV Host Laura McIntosh.

Can you smell that? I wish I were in Gilroy right now. Really, I do.

Cooking doesn't stop with the competition - the festival also features Gourmet Alley, where visitors can sample everything garlic, from garlic fries, garlic bread, shrimp scampi and even garlic ice cream. If you have a craving for garlic, the Gourmet Alley will satisfy your taste buds.

Of course, not everyone is a garlic enthusiast, especially some kids. But that's okay - the Gilroy Garlic Festival also includes plenty of opportunities for arts and crafts with the help of many local vendors in California.

The 30th Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival is located at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, 30 miles south of San Jose. The festival lasts from July 25 to the 27 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with gates closing at 6 p.m.

Admission to the festival is only $12 for adults. For both seniors 60 and over as well as kids ages six to 12, admission is $6. For more information, visit http://gilroygarlicfestival.com/.