Gilroy…. ‘Garlic Capital of the World’…Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park
Gilroy is best known as the ‘Garlic Capital of the World’, and home of the annual Garlic Festival in July. But the City is also known for its peaceful residential environment, its award-winning parks, golf course and recreation programs, and for its ‘urban forest’, for which the City has won Tree City USA awards annually since 1979. Recent years of high-tech business growth have also influenced an increase in interest in Gilroy as a site for expansion of ‘Silicon Valley’.
Historically, Gilroy’s economy has been based in agricultural products and processing. Over the years, prunes, tomatoes, flowers, onion and , of course, garlic, have contributed to the economic health of the agricultural industries, Food processing centers have also established themselves in Gilroy, and government centers also employ many local residents. ‘The Premium-Outlets’ at Gilroy, a five-phase retail complex, draws shoppers from all over the Bay Area and Central Coasts regions.
Home of Gilroy Gardens …….Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park is a garden-themed family theme park in Gilroy, California and the current location of the world-famous Circus Trees created by Axel Erlandson.
Then came the rise of Silicon Valley and the farmland gave way to technology parks, housing and shopping malls. Well known, respected wineries such as Mirassou and Almadén were sold and their old vineyards torn up and subdivided. In much of the county its viticulture history is represented by little more than street names and historical markers. Winegrowing continued in the south of the county; around Hecker Pass and Watsonville Road a number of family owned wineries continued to produce wines, mostly for local consumption.
Among the list of wineries in South County, these wineries in Gilroy are noted:
Aver Family Vineyards , Fortino Winery, Sarah’s Vineyard , Hecker Pass Winery , Satori Cellars,
Dorcich Family Vineyards, Solis Winery Kirigin Cellars, MOHI Winery Martin Ranch Winery
The Gilroy library is also newly refurbished and computerized. Gavilan Community College in Gilroy is known for the beauty of its campus, set in the foothills which surround the City. Downtown, new vitality and a healthy respect for history make for a lively and interesting town center. Mature neighborhoods blend with newer homes to create an ambient atmosphere for residential areas, served by nearby schools, parks and churches, and just the right combination of rural and suburban amenities.
Gilroy is a growing community with a population of about 48,821 (2010 U.S. Census), representing over 2.7% of Santa Clara County. Gilroy serves as the center of a rural area of about 50,000 population.
Gilroy’s climate strikes a pleasant balance between hot and cold, wet and dry, making it perfect for agriculture and recreation, Nestled between the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountains in the Santa Clara Valley, Gilroy residents enjoy mild temperatures, while missing most of the coastal fog. A state climatology report says up to 70 percent of Gilroy’s days are sunny, with average rainfall of about 19.11 inches. The proximity of the Pacific Ocean keeps temperatures uniform.
