[7] Located about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of San Jose, Gilroy is home to about 60,000 people, and the city is a major producer of garlic.

[6] The festival was Gilroy's top fundraiser, staffed with volunteers to raise money for nonprofit groups including clubs and schools.

Malone started the festival, which attracted hundreds of thousands of paying visitors a year.

[4] In April 2022, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced that the event would be canceled thereafter due to prolonged losses, "lingering uncertainties from the pandemic," and "prohibitive insurance requirements by the City of Gilroy" since the 2019 shooting.

[12] The Garlic Festival was featured by Huell Howser in Road Trip Episode 124.