Eat, drink, stink. Watch the National Garlic Festival kick off at Fresno Fairgrounds

Day one of Fresno’s National Garlic Festival was met with protests — faux protests, but still.

It was a bunch of vampires.

The small group greeted guests on Friday morning just inside the main gate on day one of the three-day celebration. They could be seen wandering throughout the Fresno Fairgrounds through the afternoon, wearing red velvet capes and carrying signs that read “vampires against garlic,” or simply “garlic stinks.”

“You can see how much we care about this because we came out during the day,” one of the protester’s teased.

“Normally, I’d be sleeping right now.”

This is the kind of playful tone that organizers want to permeate the festival. A giant banner runs across the main concourse above the line of people waiting to sample free garlic ice cream. It reads “Eat. Drink. Stink.”

“That about sums it up,” said Peter DeYoung, standing in front of a giant garlic clove, where the National Garlic Queen was being interviewed. There are several of the bulbs placed throughout the fairgrounds, for those Instagram opportunities, no doubt. #nationalgarlicfest.

“First of all, it’s a celebration,” DeYoung said.

It’s a celebration that’s a long time coming.

Fresno County is known for agricultural, sure, but not for for its garlic. That honor would probably go to Gilroy, which until this year had hosted its own annual garlic festival, for like 40 years.

But Fresno County is responsible for growing the majority of the country’s garlic crop — some 25,000 acres worth, DeYoung said.

Gilroy, by contrast has 750 acres of garlic crops.

So, while Gilroy has the benefit of the smell wafting through as you drive past its processing plants, that garlic? It’s grown right here, DeYoung said.

“You’re smelling Fresno County garlic.”

The festivities continue through Sunday, with more than 300 garlic-inspired foods from garlic fries (obviously) to garlic and maple funnel cake to ice cream (free samples are available). There’s also straight-up cloves of the stuff, in bulk boxes at each entrance. Those samples are also free.

There’s also a pun-intended Vampire Run (no word on if it will be protested), two nights of fireworks displays and the official crowning of the National Garlic Festival Queen by actor and celebrity television host Mario Lopez.

This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 2:12 PM.