• Gourmet Alley

The Garlic Festival didn't establish itself as one of the Bay Area's premier cuisine attractions by accident. The food found at Gourmet Alley is unlike any other. It's here you can find garlicky culinary concoctions the likes of peppersteak sandwiches, pasta con pesto, calamari, Italian sausage sandwiches, scampi, garlic bread and garlic fries. Is your mouth watering yet?

• Pyro Chefs

Speaking of Gourmet Alley, while you're there it's a necessity to check out the Garlic Festival's famous pyro chefs. As someone who had the honor of doing a flame-up with the chefs last year, I can tell you it is no easy feat—and they've got the burns to prove it. These chefs not only cook up delicious treats for festival-goers, but they do it with flare. With flames reaching several feet in the air, it takes serious training to cook like the pyro chefs do. Stop by Gourmet Alley to see the chefs in action.

• Cook-Off Competitions

For amateur and professional chefs alike, the Garlic Festival is a big deal. It's here that chefs of all levels go head-to-head in three heated cook-off challenges.On Friday, executive chef teams from Chico State University, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and the University of San Francisco square off against the defending champs from Santa Clara University in the Garlic Bowl MMXV at 2 pm. The teams will put their best garlic-infused dish forward as each looks to win $5,000 in scholarships for their school. On Saturday, eight amateur chefs—selected from among thousands of applicants—will compete for the coveted garlic crown and a $5,000 prize in the Great Garlic Cook-Off It all starts at 10am on the Cook-Off Stage. On Sunday, it's time for the pros to step up. Four professional chefs will take the stage on the festival's final day for the Garlic Showdown in an "Iron Chef"-inspired competition. Bragging rights and $5,000. The event kicks off at noon and will be hosted by Daphne Oz from TV's The Chew and three-time Garlic Showdown champion Chef Jason Gronlund.

• Crash a Wedding

Visitors to this year's festival will have the special opportunity to witness the first garlic-themed wedding at the event. Winners of the social media wedding contest will share a garlic-filled kiss proclaiming their love for garlic and one another in a ceremony presided over by Mr. Garlic himself, Gerry Foisy. Witness the special day on Sunday July 26.

• Visit the Wine Pavilion

There's more to Gilroy than just garlic. Wineries are huge in the Garlic Captial and South Santa Clara County, so it's only fitting to bring them together at the Garlic Festival. The Wine Pavilion, located on the Ranch side of the festival grounds, is the place to sample vino from from several local wineries. Wine, mimosas, dessert wine over ice cream and some well-needed shade can all be enjoyed at the pavilion and it's all brought to you by the Gilroy Rotary.

• Fun For Kids

There's always something going on in the children's area for the whole family, including special performances, bounce houses and projects and activities. This year's children's area will be located at the Mulberry West section of the park (under the shaded trees).

• Take in Some Tunes

Festival planners have put together an impressive collection of musical entertainment on four stages, with an emphasis on local bands on Friday, blues music stars on Saturday such as the John Garcia Band, Mike Osborn and Body, Mind & Soul Band; and a full lineup of country music on Sunday with Striking Matches, Michael Ray and Chris Cavanaugh.

• Selfies with the Queen

Every year the Gilroy Garlic Festival selects the queen of garlic and her royal court. They will be in attendance for the festival so be sure to take a selfie with them to show everyone how you rubbed elbows with royalty.

• Free Garlic Ice Cream

Gilroy's temperatures in late July can easily hit the mid-to-high 90s—just ask anyone who attended last year's festival. If you're looking for a refreshing and free way to cool down, visit Olam's Garlic Ice Cream booth. The combination of garlic and ice cream may not seem appetizing, but it makes for an oddly delicious treat. It doesn't hurt to try anything once, right?

• Meet Mr. Garlic

Longtime Garlic Festival volunteer Gerry Foisy has been known as Mr. Garlic for over 20 years. Festival-goers should be sure to snap a picture with him in his traditional Garlic Festival garb.

• Make a Weekend Out of It

For those who want to stay close to the action, a variety of hotels are available in Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Be sure to book early though, as hotels always fill up for the Garlic Festival weekend.

• Garlic Showdown

Featuring celebrity host Daphne Oz from ABC-TV's "The Chew", the garlic showdown is a battle of the chefs as four professional chefs compete in a "Iron Chef" style competition for $5,000 and bragging rights on Sunday July 26. Oz will also stick around for a cooking demonstration that afternoon.

• Beat the Traffic

With more than 100,000 attendees, there's bound to be bad traffic at peak hours. The doors open each day at 10am, an ideal time to arrive for those who want to avoid a traffic mess. Instead of braving the Highway 101 parking lot, those coming from San Jose can take the Monterey Highway, or the very scenic (but much longer) Uvas Road through the mountains.