After two hours of suspense, the 24-year-old Gilroyan patiently posed for photos before descending the stage into the arms of friends and family.

"I don't have words," she said. Arms laden with flowers, she still shook with laughter and shock. Relieved that she didn't have to give an acceptance speech, "I wouldn't have known what to say anyway," she said. "This is such a great honor, I'm very excited." As the oldest contestant, this year was her last shot.

As Queen, the perky University of Arizona graduate won a $1,000 scholarship, will preside over the Gilroy Garlic Festival in July and travel to Gilroy's sister city, Takko-Machi, Japan, for their annual garlic festival. Having never been to Japan before, Combs is ready to go, she said.

"Ariele was very well spoken and knowledgeable of Gilroy and garlic," Lauretta Avina, past Queen and a member of this year's panel of judges said. "And I have to say, I just loved her charisma."

For her garlic speech, Combs posed as a fast food junkie turned garlic lover. Bedecked in exercise gear, she busted through a life sized "before" photo of herself and spoke about the three day garlic diet, courtesy of the Garlic Festival, that whipped her into shape.

"I eat, sleep and breathe the bulb," she explained.

For her talent, she shimmied on-stage for a bouncy dance number to "All That Jazz" with the help of a black folding chair.

First runner up, Jessica Brewka, and second runner up, Alyx Martinez, accepted smaller tiaras and posed with their Queen for photos. Brewka, 21, of Morgan Hill, channeled Lucille Ball for a Lucyesque plug for "Garlicmeatavegamin": "The secret of the Garlic Festival, the solution to your culinary problems and the answer to all your garlicky dreams."

She was awarded the highest score in the speech and talent competition. For her speech, Martinez, 20, of Morgan Hill camped out on-stage the night before the Garlic Festival, falling asleep "while visions of garlic bulbs danced" in her head. Martinez won the award for Miss Congeniality. A line of creative acts, all inspired by garlic, followed.

The dressing room, a rainbow of color, was frenzied after the talent portion as the girls readied themselves for the evening gown competition. After modeling their gowns, they answered an on-stage question about Gilroy or garlic.

"You have no control over it so you might as well go out there and make the best of it," said Anneliese Zelina, 18, as she prepared herself for her final appearance.

The questions ranged from "Why do so many people volunteer for the Garlic Festival?" to "What is your favorite Garlic Festival memory?"

Before all the glitter and applause, the young women sat down for individual interviews with the panel of judges, which comprised 40 percent of their overall score.

Having sat through the interview herself when she was vying for the title of Queen, Avina remembered loving the one on one interviews. She still does, she said.

"It's my favorite part," she said. "You get to see what they're all about. The hardest part is being on-stage. It's really scary to be original and articulate up there."

If the girls were nervous, they masked it well. The talents ranged from a MacBethian monologue to a twangy rendition of "Ring of Fire" with garlic inspired lyrics substituted.

Outgoing Queen Cherise Gowan sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and dedicated a slide show of her year of royalty to the late Val Filice, who helped found the Gilroy Garlic Festival 30 years ago.

All the talk of garlic left the audience with rumbling stomachs and a hankering for some of Gourmet Alley's culinary masterpieces. The perfect solution: the Garlic Festival this July, one of the contestants pointed out. Departing for college this fall, Carissa Heath, summed up her hometown nicely.

"For me, home is where the garlic is," she said.

This year's Garlic Festival is July 25-27.