Richard Nicholls, 60; He Turned Gilroy Garlic Fest Into Top Attraction

Richard “Dick” Nicholls, 60, the executive director of the Gilroy Garlic Festival who developed it from a regional party to an internationally known fund-raising event, died Wednesday in Salinas, Calif., of pancreatic cancer.

The festival began in the late 1970s, but really started to bloom after Nicholls was appointed director in 1986. Under his tutelage, the festival was soon attracting 135,000 or more visitors to the town of 33,000 and pumping more than $5 million into the local economy each July.

In the last few years, Nicholls directed $250,000 in festival profits to fund a cafeteria for Gilroy High School, $200,000 for local scholarships and $250,000 to the future Gilroy Center for the Arts.

Nicholls’ success gave him, as well as the festival, an international reputation. He served as board chairman of the International Festival and Events Assn., which includes organizations handling the Kentucky Derby and the Macy’s Parade. He was inducted into the group’s hall of fame in 1996.

Nicholls was born in Morgan Hill, Calif., and educated at San Jose State University. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.