Community Corner

PHOTOS: Gilroy Gets a New Queen

The annual Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Pageant showcases a variety show of speeches, talent and fashion.

The judges have spoken, and Gilroy has a new queen.

After two months of preparation, 20-year-old Tiffani Peterson, a student at Gavilan College, won the 2011 Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Pageant on Saturday at the Gavilan College theater.

With the win comes $2,500 in scholarship money and the duty to serve as the public face of the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

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“The queen represents us at many many events, so this pageant is very important to us,” said Kurt Svardal, president of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association.

Petersen presented a speech called, "The Final Countown," a military, briefing-style vignette preparing the audience for the Garlic Festival. Her talent, a choreographed rifle routine, was performed to Frank Sinatra’s "New York, New York."

Find out what's happening in Gilroywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It was the 33rd edition of the pageant, held every year since the beginning of the Gilroy Garlic Festival in 1979. Girls from ages 18-24 who live in Gilroy or the surrounding cities are eligible to compete, said Sheena Link, who co-chairs the pageant committee.

New this year was a $1,500 scholarship from Christopher Ranch, an award that will continue in the years to come, said Don Christopher, founder of the modern Christopher Ranch and one of the founders of the Garlic Festival.

“I’m glad to be here, because I think this is a great thing we’re finally doing,” he said.

A series of other scholarships were awarded during the event.

Lauren Iwanaga, Garlic Festival Queen in 2010, passed her crown to Petersen and gave a speech detailing how the experience changed her life.

Organizers reminded those in attendance that the pageant is not a beauty contest.

“Under all the lights and all the sparkle, we sometimes forget that this is a scholarship pageant,” said chairwoman Link. “I want to remind people of that.”

Six judges determined the winner based on a number of criteria: 40 percent of the points came from a pre-pageant personal interview, 20 percent from a talent, 20 percent from a speech and 20 percent from the evening gown and on-stage question.

On stage, speeches were varied­—from the presentation of a fictional garlic grab-bag in Melissa Davis’s "Little Stinker Survival Kit," to a garlic bulb’s grim festival realization in Megan Griffin’s "Ignorance is Bliss."

Each was an ode to the Garlic Festival, including several comic jabs at President Svardal.

Before crowning the queen, co-chairwoman Alannah Radtke announced her last year as part of the event.

Link, winner of the pageant in 2006, will take over, she said. The two embraced on stage after Link thanked her co-chairwoman.

First runner-up at the competition was Toni Eves, 21, a student at Foothill College.

Second runner-up was 17-year-old Megan Griffin, a student at Archbishop Mitty High School.

While only one girl can become queen, the remaining contestants will become part of her court and have a continuing role in city events, Link said.

Awards

Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival 2011: Tiffani Petersen

Award: $1,000 scholarship from the Garlic Festival Association; $1,500 scholarship from Christopher Ranch.

First runner-up: Toni Eves

Award: $500 from the Garlic Festival Association

Second runner-up: Megan Griffin

Award: $250 from the Garlic Festival Association

Miss Congeniality Award (peer vote): Heather Brodersen

Best Speech: Megan Griffin ("Ignorance is Bliss")

Best Talent: Megan Griffin (vocal performance: "Don’t Rain on My Parade")

Past Queen Award: Toni Eves

Past Presidents Award: Heather Brodersen and Tiffani Petersen

Olam Scholarship: Toni Eves

Founding Fathers Scholarship: Melissa Davis

Franca Barsi-Miss Gilroy Garlic 1986 Memorial Scholarship: Melissa Davis


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