California’s beloved Gilroy Garlic Festival canceled

GILROY, Calif. (AP) — Organizers have announced that this year’s edition of California’s beloved Gilroy Garlic Festival has been canceled and the annual event’s future is uncertain. The celebration of the pungent vegetable has been held for more than 40 years, drawing huge crowds to farm country 80 miles south of San Francisco. The festival board says that due to uncertainties lingering from the COVID-19 pandemic and prohibitive insurance requirements by the city of Gilroy, a decision was made to not move forward with the festival in 2022 and perhaps for the foreseeable future. Organizers hope to eventually hold a small, local festival rather than the massive events of the past.