California Garlic Festival leaves Stockton after 2-year stint

STOCKTON — After announcing the California Garlic Festival would move from Stockton to Los Banos earlier this year, the weekend has arrived.

Organizers say they had to make the move because people in San Joaquin County just aren't into garlic like other commodities.

The San Joaquin County Fairgrounds are empty this Labor Day weekend.

"That's a bummer because Los Banos isn't closer to me either," Cara Petties said.

Petties, who lives near Stockton, loves her garlic.

"We love garlic. Garlic is used in everything. I love it. I use it in everything," she said.

Seeing the Garlic Festival move down south after just two years in Stockton has her thinking about how they can bring it back.

"Maybe a couple of times a year. Maybe at more localized places that can create a little venue," she said.

Back in April, organizers for the festival decided to move it to Merced County but never gave a reason why.

"The community up there wasn't involved with garlic as they are down here," organizer Tony Noceti said over the phone. "With the Asparagus Festival, they are very supportive of that."

Noceti is a major part of the California Garlic Festival. He said that the love for the flavor crop just isn't the same in San Joaquin County.

"Getting it closer to Gilroy where it belongs, that's my whole concept," he said.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival permanently shut down in 2022, but Noceti is trying to bring it back to its original spot, and some organizers in Stockton agree with this move.

Visit Stockton CEO Wes Rhea said in a statement to CBS13:

"The community didn't jump out to the festival because it isn't like asparagus. Numbers didn't hit like other festivals' ticket numbers. [It's a] smart move to go to Los Banos, closer to Gilroy."

Last year, the California Garlic Festival had roughly 5,000 people the entire weekend. Rhea said that is partly because everything from admission to food and entertainment is expensive.

San Joaquin County saw garlic revenue drop roughly $2 million in its latest agriculture report.