Gilroy Garlic Festival Driving Directions
FESTIVAL HOURS: 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM
GATES CLOSE AT 6:00 PM.
Festival parking lots open at 9:00 am each morning.
Parking Fee: $10 per vehicle per day for all lots
Please note: parking lot locations and configurations changed in 2016. Please follow the signs and directions from peace officers and volunteers closely. Parking fee is $10 per vehicle per day with a shuttle running from the parking lot to festival grounds.
From San Jose and areas north: Watch for the electronic sign board on Highway 101 as you enter Gilroy. Use the exit suggested on the sign board. Follow the signs and watch for traffic control officers on roadways.
From Salinas and areas south: Use the Monterey Road exit. Follow the signs and watch for traffic control officers on roadways.
From Watsonville & Santa Cruz areas: Use Highway 129 to US 101 north, exit Monterey Road. Follow the signs and watch for traffic control officers on roadways.
From Pacheco Pass Highway: Follow the signs to Gilroy and watch for traffic control officers on roadways.
If using a GPS: DO NOT follow GPS directions to Festival as streets are blocked off around park. All traffic is directed to festival parking lots via signs on Highway 101.
Free secure bicycle parking is available on Miller Avenue at Uvas Parkway. Bring your own lock.
Ride the Garlic Train to the Festival!
That’s right, this year you can ride Caltrain to the Garlic Festival on Saturday, July 29 or Sunday, July 30. This is the easiest and most relaxing way to get to the Festival from the peninsula. A chartered special event train will depart San Jose Diridon Station at 10:00 am, arriving non-stop in downtown Gilroy an hour later, where a bus will shuttle you to the Festival. At 4:00 pm you can board a bus to return from the Festival to the Gilroy Caltrain station, where the train will depart at 5:00 pm, returning you non-stop to the Diridon Station in San Jose one hour later. This special round-trip ticket is only available online in advance and includes Festival admission. This ticket is not available for purchase from Caltrain or at the train station.
The Garlic Train is scheduled so that riders wishing to take normal weekend Caltrain service from as far north as San Francisco can connect with the Garlic Train in San Jose. Riders wishing to take advantage of that connecting service will need to purchase tickets directly from Caltrain for peninsula service, and switch trains at the Diridon Station in San Jose.
Attention Tour Bus Operators: Take San Martin Avenue Exit regardless of electronic sign board instructions. Head west on San Martin Avenue to Santa Teresa Boulevard and turn left. Proceed south for seven miles on Santa Teresa Boulevard to Club Drive. Turn left on Club Drive to the tour bus passenger loading/unloading area at Festival Gate 5. After unloading, tour bus parking/waiting will be available at Gavilan College, 5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard, 2.6 miles south of Miller Avenue.
Tour groups arriving via motorcoach are encouraged to schedule their visit prior to arrival in order to receive discount admission, bus driver and guide admission along with special drop off and pick up arrangements. Corporate groups of 30+ may also be eligible for discount admission. Please contact lizz@gilroygarlicfestival.com for more information.
General Aviators – If flying in to the area:
South County Airport, (E16)
13025 Murphy Ave., San Martin, CA 95046
(408) 683-4102 www.magnumaviation.com
RV Parking: Unfortunately Festival-adjacent overnight RV parking is no longer available due to impending residential development on the land we utilized for that purpose in the past. We recommend contacting Gilroy Gardens at (408) 840-7100 or Casa de Fruta at (408) 842-9316, or check the list of RV parks on the Gilroy Welcome Center website.
Comments(6)