The Garlicky California Town You Can Smell From Miles Away on Hot Summer Days

Gilroy, California

Gilroy sits in California’s farmland, where the air smells like roasted garlic and purple bulbs grow in endless rows.

This small town of 60,000 people grows more garlic than anywhere else in America. For decades, locals have called it the Garlic Capital of the World, and they’re not shy about it.

Here’s how it became famous for one simple bulb.

Gilroy, California – Garlic Capital of the World

Gilroy sits 80 miles south of San Francisco in the southern Santa Clara Valley. The city counts 59,520 residents according to the 2020 census.

Visitors smell Gilroy before seeing it. Processors handle over 100 million pounds of garlic annually.

Locals embrace their aromatic reputation. Half of America’s garlic comes from this agricultural center.

Founding Gilroy

Scottish sailor John Cameron jumped ship in Monterey harbor in 1814, then changed his name to avoid being recognized.

He ended up wandering California when it still belonged to Spain. Spanish colonists gave him the name Juan Bautista Gilroy after his conversion to Catholicism.

Gilroy married Maria Clara Ortega in 1821 as Mexico won independence from Spain, and her father Ygnacio owned the 13,066-acre Rancho San Ysidro.

This would eventually become the town, incorporated and officially called Gilroy in 1968. Its namesake died the following year at 75.

A Japanese Immigrant Sparks the Garlic Industry

Kiyoshi Hirasaki started growing garlic in Gilroy in 1929 alongside other vegetables on his farm.

California’s Mediterranean climate matched garlic’s needs perfectly, and Hirasaki soon converted his entire operation to garlic production.

People called Hirasaki the ‘Garlic King’ until the 1950s, and his farm grew into the largest commercial garlic operation in the United States.

A Growing Garlic Legacy

Don Christopher bought 10 acres of Gilroy farmland to start his own operation using borrowed money from his father in 1956.

Christopher focused exclusively on Monviso California Heirloom garlic, a variety that traces its roots to Italy’s Piemonte region.

Today, Christopher Ranch processes 100 million pounds yearly. Products include whole bulbs, peeled cloves, and garlic-infused oils.

The Birth of the Gilroy Garlic Festival

Gavilan College president Rudy Melone read about a French town in 1978 which claimed to be the ‘Garlic Capital of the World.’

However, Melone knew Gilroy produced more garlic than anywhere, so he convinced Don Christopher and chef Val Filice to organize a garlic festival.

They printed 5,000 tickets for the 1979 event, and triple that number showed up.

The first festival raised $19,000 for local charities and established Gilroy’s garlicky reputation.

The Festival Becomes a National Phenomenon

After the first festival, attendance eventually swelled to 100,000 visitors annually. Guests consumed two tons of garlic during each three-day celebration.

Garlic ice cream became the signature curiosity, and the sweet-savory dessert as a festival rite of passage.

California’s Only Agricultural Theme Park

Gilroy Gardens spans 536 acres of horticultural displays, the only theme park in California devoted to plants and agriculture.

Children can spin inside garlic-shaped pods on the Garlic Twirl ride, and the park also features 25 ‘Circus Trees’ with trunks shaped into ladders, baskets, and spirals.

Reviving the Garlic Festival

A tragic shooting, COVID-19, and insurance costs led to the Garlic Festival being suspended since 2019.

Finally, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced a comeback in March 2025. This year’s festival is happening on July 25, 26, and 27 at the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park.

Visiting Gilroy, California – Garlic Capital of the World

Gilroy sits 30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101, about 80 minutes from San Francisco.

Garlic World is an essential stop, and you can find it at 4800 Monterey Highway. The Gilroy Gardens opens seasonally from spring through winter.

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