No growing pains for teen zone

For the second year in a row, the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s Teen Zone proved to be a hit. For those in junior high and high school who had outgrown the draw of glittery face painting and colorful sand art in a bottle, the Teen Zone was filled with rides from Fun & Game Rentals, which offered adrenaline rushes for thrill seekers.
First-time Garlic Festival goers Phil Navarrete and Reina Gatmaitan of Vallejo said they bought the highest amount of tickets, the “Family Pack”, for their nephew because they knew he was going to be the most entertained by Teen Zone rides.
“The Teen Zone’s perfect for kids who are too old for the Children’s Area,” Navarrete said.
The Family Pack cost $38 for 50 tickets, the Junior Family Pack cost $20 for 24 tickets and otherwise tickets could be purchased individually for $1 each. The tickets could be used in the Teen Zone as well as the Children’s Area, which was located under the tree-shaded Mulberry section in the west end of the park.
“The Teen Zone’s been consistently packed the past three days,” said Gennavie Brixley, a Fun & Games Rentals employee who had been working the ticket booth in the Teen Zone every day of the Festival.
According to Brixley, both of the ticket packages were selling really well in comparison to people buying tickets individually.
“I think that the price is okay for what you’re getting,” Navarette said. “The zip line is really cool and my nephew’s excited about it.”
While tweens and teens fell in line for other rides such as the Euro Bungee – an attraction that straps riders in by their waist and gives them the ability to jump 30 feet in the air – the Orbitron, a ride that spins on its axis; a giant metal slide; and a small-scale mechanical bull; the wait was significantly longer for the 250-foot-long zip line which ran through the middle of the Teen Zone.
After walking around the Garlic Festival earlier in the day and eating their share of deep fried garlic calamari for lunch, cousins Tatiana and Jonathon Barajas, both 13, hopped on the bandwagon and joined the line for zip lining.
“This will be our first time doing the zip line and it’s the first ride we’re going to do at the Teen Zone because it looks the coolest,” Tatiana said.
After ten seconds of zipping from the top of a tower – their legs dangling in the air – and back down to Festival grounds, teens could take a quick break to rehydrate at the refreshment zone which sold water bottles and Pepsi for $3 each.
Teens could also satisfy their sweet tooth at the soft serve ice cream station which was new this year to the Teen Zone. The Sugar Shack sold cotton candy and Carmel apples in addition to festival foods such as nachos and popcorn.
Playing the “Mash A Mouse” game or getting some temporary tattoos at the Airbrush Tattoo booth were some alternatives ways for teens to spend their tickets other than using them all up on the attractions.
The Teen Zone was located in the back end of the park, just past the amphitheater in a previously unused space. Those who parked in the Green Parking Lot could enter directly into the Teen Zone from the back entrance.