Celebrating the Christopher Family and the Gilroy Garlic Festival
Printed in the Congressional Record of Jul 22, 2026.
Text in the Record
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the Gilroy Garlic Festival, a beloved annual tradition in Santa Clara County dating back to 1979. Drawing thousands of visitors from across the country, this three-day festival has raised millions of dollars for local schools and charities. With everything from garlic fries to garlic ice cream, the Gilroy Garlic Festival reminds people every year why Gilroy is the Garlic Capital of the World. In fact, over half of America's garlic is now grown around Gilroy and 90 percent of the country's garlic harvest is processed here. This cherished event is thanks in large part to the Christopher Family, who made the long journey from Denmark to America in the 1890s. After hearing tale of the Santa Clara Valley's dark, fertile soil and Mediterranean climate, they knew this land would be where they would settle. In 1979, Donald Christopher co-founded the Gilroy Garlic Festival, with an estimated 15,000 people showing up to the two-day event, about triple the number they expected. By the 1980s, there were more than 100,000 ticket buyers. Today, the legacy of Don Christopher is carried on by his family, including his son, Bill, and grandsons, Ken and Jason. Thanks to their hard work, the Gilroy Garlic Festival remains a critical part of Gilroy's identity and a moment that families look forward to year after year. The festival also could not take place without the help of thousands of volunteers. We thank them for their help, and we honor the Christopher family for their long service to our community.
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From the Congressional Record. This record was last updated Aug 22, 2026. About our data
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The text as printed in the Congressional Record. Agora shows it unchanged, except that it splits it into paragraphs and shows the heading in title case instead of capital letters.
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Printed in the Congressional Record of Jul 22, 2026. Extensions of Remarks are submitted in writing; they are not spoken on the floor.
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In the Record, the heading reads: CELEBRATING THE CHRISTOPHER FAMILY AND THE GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL.
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