The Gilroy Garlic Festival raised over $74,000 for nonprofits in i ts first year returning from a six-year hiatus — and organizers are now looking to next year’s festival with the goal of growing its attendance and impact.

“It’s the crowning jewel for our organization. This is what we do all of this for – is giving back,” said Paul Nadeau, the 2025 president of the Garlic Festival Association. “We’re just looking forward to multiplying that.”

Since the Garlic Festival began as a humble luncheon in 1978, it grew into a phenomenon with an annual attendance of around 100,000 for nearly four decades, attracting curious foodies, famous chefs and garlic fanatics from around the world for garlic ice cream, shrimp scampi and pepper steak sandwiches.

The event was nearly entirely run by some 4

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