Huge San Francisco Cactus & Succulent Society Show & Sale on June 16-18, 2023

Last year’s San Francisco Succulent & Cactus Society Show & Sale was huge. This year’s event promises to be even bigger. It’ll take place from Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 18, 2023 at the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. The street address is 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122.

The motto of this year’s Show & Sale is “Stranger than Fiction.” It was chosen to “highlight[...] the bizarre nature of our favorite plants, and the often alien environments in which they grow.” The spectacular visuals advertising the event were created by SFSCS president Jon Schwark and members Tom Vince and Collin Zimmerman using generative AI. “The visual concept isn’t so much about ‘space’,” the 2023 Participant Guide states, “as 1950s-70s pulp fiction of all genres: Western, Crime, Strange Tales, Romance, Sci-fi, Horror and more. We want to have fun with the idea by including special theme classes for plant entries.”

Seriously, how many plant shows do you know that even have a visual concept? Jon has done a truly outstanding job branding the 2023 Show & Sale.





SFSCS members who want to enter plants in the juried show find all the information they need in the  2023 Participant Guide mentioned above.

Another perk of SFSCS membership is admission to the Members-Only Preview Sale on Friday, June 16, 2023 from 3-7 pm and on Saturday, June 17, 9-10 am. This may seem like a minor benefit, but to hardcore plant nerds and collectors it’s anything but, because it gives them the opportunity to buy plants before the doors open to the public. If you want to take advantage of this and aren’t a member yet, you can join online now or in person at the event.



An event this size requires a prodigious number of volunteers to pull off. Like any non-profit, the SFSCS depends on its members to step up and help out any way they can. As of June 8, the SFSCS has 60% coverage, which means that there are still plenty of time slots left to fill. If you’re available on June 16, 17, or 18 and want to help, please sign up online. Volunteers will receive a $10 sale credit per 2-hour shift on Saturday and Sunday.



The 2023 show will have a record number of vendors. In addition, the Bromeliad Society of San Francisco will have a major presence, selling a wide variety of bromeliads and answering cultivation questions from the public.

As of June 1, the following vendors had signed up:

VendorCompany
Azali, LionyGardeneur
Beiersdorfer, PeterPB & J Cacti & Succulents
Bloss, Naomi J.California Succulents
Bromeliad SocietyBromeliad Society of SF
Calibo, DavidGardeners Home
Casino, KarenKaren Casino
Chavez, Artie & KimDesert Creations
Cherney, CareyCherney Design
Cravalho, DonEpiphyllum World
Crist, PetraRare Succulents
Dodge, AnthonySuccielife
DuCharme, DarylCasper’s Landscape
Gonzalez, PabloPeety Pots
Hall, AnthonyCloud Hidden Plants
Hamilton, MelanieFynbos Flora
Hanson, SteveSteven Hanson
Kemble, BrianAgavoides
Lau, Catherine
Bloss, JohnJC Succulents LLC
Manfredi, Kim IlƔnKim IlƔn Manfredi
Mangle, MarilynMarilyn Mangle
Masuoka, SusanSus’s Succulents
Munkacsy, Carla & BillPlanta Seca
Oesterle, AlexisSucculent and Stone
Parisi, Mary & Dunne, EdDunne & Parisi
Pelicon, Cecelia
Ries, Cate@cattacka
Roberts, EdnaEdna’s Secret Garden
Roberts-Yee, CassidyRadiant Cactus and Succulents /
Rosso, Rene
Rowe, RichardRowe Clayworks
Shores, LesleyL&J Plants
Slayter, JerryL&J Plants
Smith, JimJim Smith
Smithour, Ken & MarlynGardenia Gardens and Design
Theodoris, GeorgeArtisan Plants
Thiel, JustinSucculent Fanatic
Vargas, OscarGreen Touch Nursery
Verkler, StanDesert Rose of Santa Cruz
Wikert, J.D.
Wilkinson, NickGrow Nursery
Wolf, AnnieSucculents & Desert Wonders
SFSCSSFSCS

With 40+ vendors, this promises to be one of the largest events of its type ever held in Northern California. Check out the SFSCS website for a detailed vendor breakdown.

The hours are as follows:

SFSCS members only:
    Friday, June 16, 3-7pm,
    Saturday, June 17, 9-10am

As mentioned above, you can join online at sfsucculent.org/paymembership.

Open to the public:
    Saturday, June 17, 10am-5pm
    Sunday, June 18, 9am-5pm

In addition, three special presentations will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Check the SFSCS website for topics and times.

The event will be held at the San Francisco County Fair Building on 1199 9th Ave at Lincoln Way (here’s a Google map), just inside Golden Gate Park in the Inner Sunset neighborhood. There’s easy access via MUNI lines 44, 7 & N-Judah. Parking on city streets and in the park is very limited. All time limit signs are strictly enforced (when I worked at the sale last year, I saw three cars being towed).



© Gerhard Bock, 2023. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.

Comments

  1. Those posters are fantastic and really do encompass the 'other worldly' aspects of succulents. I hope you will be attending and photographing the show (please). Wish I could be there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go this year. I have a family function the same weekend.

      Delete
  2. Love those posters! Very collectable too.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like a fantastic event! I can't go that weekend, hopefully next year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That looks like the C&SS sale to end all others! The posters are wonderful and all I could like of is that Loree needs one of those ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah, California. You are a special place šŸŒµ Missing you here in Georgia.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I want to go! I want to volunteer! That is the best plant sale/show branding I have ever seen, not that I've seen a lot but WOW! (and you're right Kris, I do!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SFCSS president Jon Schwark has done a truly outstanding job promoting the show. I won't be able to go (college graduation in the Southland), but I'll try to get my hands on a commemorative booklet.

      Delete

Post a Comment