Gilroy Garlic Festival's iconic Mr. Garlic retiring after 29 years

GILROY, Calif. (KGO) -- The tasty, albeit smelly, and hugely popular Garlic Festival is underway in Gilroy this weekend. The festival is an institution.

Every year, visitors consume more than 2 tons of fresh garlic. This family-friendly event is a must-see.

Some may want to come and say goodbye to a familiar face.

Garlic runs through people's veins in Gilroy - like Mr. Garlic, Gerry Foisy, who's donned the bulb for 29 years.

He's lighting the pyro chefs to kick off the festival but he's also passing the torch as he retires.

The title of Mr. Garlic is a bloodline succession. "I got a letter from my son and he said, 'I want to take your place," so I couldn't say no," Foisy said.

He was moved to tears. "It means a lot that he cared enough to say, 'I'm going to take your place.' So it was nice," he said.

Summertime in Gilroy can feel like a flaming skillet, but Friday morning feels cool enough that the garlic ice cream isn't going to melt.

For more festival information, click here.