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Gilroy Flower Fest

Never a wall flower and warmer than a sun ray, Marion Pintello of the Pintello Comedy Theater is one of many volunteers to greet the score of vehicles lined up to this event even before opening.

Jane Howard from the Gilroy Welcome Center, certainly had the cheerful smile that would brighten any day, clouds or not.

Clouds were not to be though.

It was a sunny day for last weekend's Flower Fest.

The many volunteers helped find new homes for Syngenta's stemmed friends. In the process, some very colorful results were achieved: Gilroy Rotary Club Taps Into Flower Power.

Flowers may not chase away today's clouds but they sure can attract smiles to our faces.

Plus they make a nice gift for others.

• Tips for Choosing Get-Well Flowers for Hospital Patients (proflowers.com)

We think a little garlic + a few grapes contribute to a tasty Gilroy tweet.

— Visit Gilroy (@visitgilroy) April 2, 2012

gilroy, ca is euphoric!!!

— Yasuyo Mariotte (@vuzawywaby) April 2, 2012

I smell Garlic! (@ Gilroy - Garlic Capital of the World) 4sq.com/HCRKcF

— Holly Bryan (@TweetsByHolly) April 2, 2012

Garlic capital of the world #yummy

— Audrey Benjamin(@slaudry) March 30, 2012

Winery guide: We'll drink to that: Of all the wonderful things that Gilroy and its sister cities have to offer, ... bit.ly/HuZrCb

— Debra Davis (@debradaviswine) March 29, 2012

@StrllrAdvSoCal ~Our friends love Gilroy Gardens. I think you're close. I hear it's super fun for the #family.

— socalwithkids.com (@socalwithkids) March 31, 2012

Mushroom madness@ Gilroy Gardens instagr.am/p/I4yWiowAF5/

— Tom Dominico (@tdominico) April 1, 2012

Gonna do some shopping in Gilroy, the garlic capital... Do we smell like a local after eating The Stinking Rose last night? :)

— mchloe (@missM_chloe) April 2, 2012

Tweet On

The twitterverse has obviously caught a whiff of the fun one can find in Gilroy, CA.

We hope that you will contribute to the conversation too. Perhaps you have 140 characters worth of garlic inspired wisdom to share with others.

We'll be listening at Visit Gilroy on Twitter.

Soggy Weather Only Makes It Greener

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

It'll stop and at least there will be the potential for greener pastures.

Let us know when you find the rainbow ...

Gilroy's Occupy Movement

It was bound to happen. The Occupy Movement hit Gilroy on Black Friday. Well, two days before actually.

The tents went up and the Occupy Best Buy movement crowd awaited to see if their demands would be met. Getting the deal on Black Friday often means camping out or lining up.

The Line Starts Here

This isn't an occupier's tent. It's just the supply tent - filled with two day camp out essentials.

Hopefully these two occupiers found their flat screen demands met. They were first in the tent line up.

Not A Line Occupier?

Well there's always Cyber Monday. ComScore reported a $1 billion dollar online shopping day last year. Cyber Monday is the first Monday after Black Friday.

Online glitches that affected some web sites on Black Friday though might make it worthwhile to simply avoid possible online headaches and visit some of the local retailers or perhaps a coffee shop to caffeinate oneself while placing an online order.

Wherever you find your deal though, we hope you have had some relaxing time with family and friends.

Gil's Sweets

We're pretty sure that Gil will find some sweets around Gilroy. Garlic ice cream is pretty good but not always the perfect choice in the fall. Where does one find garlic ice cream in the fall?

We'd like to hear your recommendations on the best desserts around Gilroy.

Find us on Facebook and share your sweet finds with our community.

We'll share some of our own here as well.

The 12-step chocoholics program: Never be more than 12 steps away from chocolate!

Money may talk, but chocolate sings.

Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!

Our New Address

Right next door to,

The Ribbon's Been Cut

Yesterday's ribbon cutting was a testimony for a community with "vision" as Mayor Al Pinheiro eloquently welcomes the Gilroy Welcome Center to its new home.

A Sincere Thank You To Everyone

We appreciate the slightly more than 300 visitors through our doors yesterday - half of whom were in attendance at the ribbon cutting.

Thank you for welcoming us! Now we look forward to welcoming everyone else to the community with a spice for life.

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Too Rennie For My Shirt♫ ... Too Rennie For My Shirt♫

2011 Northern California Renaissance Faire Attire

Welcome to Willingtown

Leaving the hustle, bustle and modern day tech alchemy of Silicon Valley, one can find a small village where peasantry is admired as much as royalty. Willingtown is buzzing with excitement as it anticipates the visit of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

In preparation for the royal visit, exotic traders from the far corners of the East, captivating (often captive) entertainers from royal courts throughout Europe and street folk with eyes on your loot have been gathering from afar.

Willington is a village renown for its hospitality. A fairer gathering of noble women, wenches, dukes, explorers and rogues can not be found within 450 years.

Northern California Renaissance Faire

Tucked in the woods of Casa de Fruta, off of Hwy. 152 (Pacheco Pass), and just 15 miles from the Gilroy Visitors Bureau, is where you can find the friendly folk of Willingtown.

Entertain You They Shall

• Manly Men in Tights - daily at 11:30, 1:30 & 3:30 - swashbuckling laughter.
• The Queen's Royal Reception - daily at 3 - see her majesty.
• World Tournament of Champions - daily at 12 & 3 - jousting fun.
• Celtic Rock Concerts - Saturdays at 6 in the Tournament of Horses Arena - Included with faire admission.
  • September 24th - Molly's Revenge
  • October 1st - Culaan's Hounds
  • October 8th - BROTHER
  • October 15th - Wicked Tinkers
• So much more ... click here for details.

Visitors will be keeling over in laughter.

Feed You They Will

A place where roundness and fullness are flaunted - those fyne roasted turkey legs! Other fine foods include : artichokes (with Mayonnaise, Drawn Butter or Hollandaise), Balsamic Salmon on a Bun, Fish & Chips, Bangers, Tri-Tip sandwiches, Monkey Tails (chocolate dipped bananas) and Knights Lance (bacon wrapped asparagus).

Oh, don't miss the fruit ice. It's natural fruit stuffed with sorbet. Flavors include : Peach, Coconut, Lemon, Mango, Orange, Pineapple and Strawberry. I can say that the peach really hit the spot on a warm afternoon.

The Details

Location : Casa de Fruta - California

Dates/Themes :

• September 24th & 25th - Bacchanal-Masquerade. Wear a garland or mask.
• October 1st & 2nd - Pirate Invasion Weekend. Watch your loot!
• October 8th & 9th - Fantasy. Those are a fine set of wings you have.
• October 15th & 16th - Closing Weekend Festivities. Last call for frivolity and mirth.

Price : $25 - general admission. Kids 12 and under are free. $35 for a weekend pass.
See Ticket Details

Did You Know Facts

• It takes nearly a month to transform the site into a Renaissance Village.
• There are more than 135 craftspeople and artisans in the Faire Marketplace
• The Faire site is 12 acres.
• There are over 15 period-themed characters, including Queen Elizabeth, Sir Francis Drake, and William Shakespeare.
• The Renaissance Faire greatly impacts the local area, employing over 700 people within the community.
• The event brings in a positive cash flow of as much as $10 million to the local business and tourism trades.
• The Faire attracts as many as 10,000 people per weekend.
• It captures the time period from the 1490s to the 1630s.

Being the oldest and largest on the West Coast, the Northern California Renaissance Faire is also owned and operated by its own performers. Many performers have been doing this for over 35 years.

Step back in time with a touch of creativity and enjoy living history before your eyes.

Come back for our RenFaire Photo Gallery soon, as well as some rennie tips.

Rest Your Tired Feet

Find an inn nearby to rest from your long travels.

The Best Western PLUS Forest Park Inn is the official host hotel for the RenFaire with a Renaissance Faire special this weekend of $109.99 (rate good for Fri, Sat or Sun). Call for more details or other weekend rates. Phone: 1-800-WESTERN or 408-848-5144.

Click here for more options and directions.

Gilroy's Location Guru

When you stroll into the Gilroy Visitors Bureau, you will be greeted with a neighborly smile from a face belonging to a 3rd generational Gilroyan. Her eyes will say, "How can I help you?" even before the words leave her lips.

Pam Gimenez is the source of the type of information all travelers seek - the inside scoop of where to go in Gilroy.

Pam answers some questions about herself below.

How long have you lived in Gilroy?
Born & raised here!

What do you personally like about being in Gilroy?
The weather ... location ... family ties.

What role does the Gilroy Visitors Bureau play in our community?
Well, we are pretty much the marketing arm for the City of Gilroy.

If I ran into you downtown, where might that be (outside of the GVB)?
One of our fine dining establishments - The Milias, Lizarran, Garlic City Café, O.D’s ...

What is a day in the life of Pam Gimenez like at the Gilroy Visitors Bureau?
Greet and meet all our wonderful visitors to Gilroy. Find out what they are looking for and what I can do to help them get there. Talk to them, find out where they are from and what brought them here.

What is your favorite activity at the Gilroy Visitors Bureau?
Finding out what brings people here! What are they looking for.

I'm interesting in taking my family out for a day of fun in Gilroy (It's cheaper to stick around town). Where would you send me?
I would send you up to Mt. Madonna to take in the beautiful vistas up there. Do a little hiking, take your lunch and have a picnic. If you have smaller children, then of course Gilroy Gardens or even Christmas Hill or Miller Parks.

I'm interesting in just a date night? Where would you send me?
I would send you down to the Milias restaurant for a wonderful meal and then to the Pintello Comedy Theater or the Limelight Theater or maybe just a movie.

I'll probably need to eat lunch soon too. Do you have a recommendation?
I will always ask if there is any particular type of food that you would like, and then from there I would direct you to either our downtown or one of our many great restaurants along First Street.

Is there anything happening in the near future that you would like to share with the community?
Labor Day Sales at Gilroy Premium Outlets, Petting Zoo at Gilroy Gardens, Pintello Comedy Theater, Limelight Theater featuring “MoMologures”, Renaissance Faire at Casa de Fruta.

Thank you Pam Gimenez for helping us complete our journey.

I think I'll head on over for the "Kitchen Sink" at O.D.'s now.