Garlic vs. Lobsters which festival will reign supreme

The Gilroy Garlic Festival announced an attendance of 107,553 for the 30th presentation of the three-day event which concluded July 27 at Christmas Hill Park. The figure represents an eight percent increase over last year.

Starting in December of each year, the Gilroy Garlic Festival puts out a call across the United States and Canada for the best garlic recipes. Hundreds of amateur chefs respond with delicious sounding recipes that run the gamut from soups to desserts and from every type of cuisine.

Recent winners have included Chai Steeped Chicken Breasts with Oriental Aioli, Basil and Garlic-Stuffed Sea Scallops wrapped in Prosciutto and served with a Spicy Citrus Beurre Blanc, and Garlic Seafood Soup.

Over 20,000 pounds of fresh-steamed lobster was served at last year’s Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine. Supporting the headlining act will be fried clams, steamers, fried local shrimp (Maine shrimp are superb!), shrimp cocktail, steamed mussels, and a whole lot more.  There will also be an AYCE blueberry pancake breakfast each morning beginning Thursday.

Other festival highlights include Sunday's Great International William Atwood Lobster Crate Race: a line of partially submerged lobster crates are strung through the chilly Atlantic, and contestants are to run across the crates without falling in.  The all-time record, held by a local girl, is 3007 crates!  There will also be the Maine Lobster Festival Seafood Cooking Contest.  Last year's winner made lobster fettuccine (with a pound and a half of lobster per box of pasta).  The Blindfold Rowboat Race is Saturday, and Sunday is the Real Maine Man contest, where participants bring a Maine-themed dish they prepared, and also are to dress like a "real Maine man."  They will each be interviewed on stage to give them an opportunity to prove their manly Maineness.