Last year’s San Francisco Cactus & Succulent 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 SFCSS 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.
SFCSS 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 SFCSS 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 SFCSS depends on its members to step up and help out any way they can. As of June 8, the SFCSS 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:
| Vendor | Company |
| Azali, Liony | Gardeneur |
| Beiersdorfer, Peter | PB & J Cacti & Succulents |
| Bloss, Naomi J. | California Succulents |
| Bromeliad Society | Bromeliad Society of SF |
| Calibo, David | Gardeners Home |
| Casino, Karen | Karen Casino |
| Chavez, Artie & Kim | Desert Creations |
| Cherney, Carey | Cherney Design |
| Cravalho, Don | Epiphyllum World |
| Crist, Petra | Rare Succulents |
| Dodge, Anthony | Succielife |
| DuCharme, Daryl | Casper’s Landscape |
| Gonzalez, Pablo | Peety Pots |
| Hall, Anthony | Cloud Hidden Plants |
| Hamilton, Melanie | Fynbos Flora |
| Hanson, Steve | Steven Hanson |
| Kemble, Brian | Agavoides |
| Lau, Catherine | |
| Bloss, John | JC Succulents LLC |
| Manfredi, Kim IlƔn | Kim IlƔn Manfredi |
| Mangle, Marilyn | Marilyn Mangle |
| Masuoka, Susan | Sus’s Succulents |
| Munkacsy, Carla & Bill | Planta Seca |
| Oesterle, Alexis | Succulent and Stone |
| Parisi, Mary & Dunne, Ed | Dunne & Parisi |
| Pelicon, Cecelia | |
| Ries, Cate | @cattacka |
| Roberts, Edna | Edna’s Secret Garden |
| Roberts-Yee, Cassidy | Radiant Cactus and Succulents / |
| Rosso, Rene | |
| Rowe, Richard | Rowe Clayworks |
| Shores, Lesley | L&J Plants |
| Slayter, Jerry | L&J Plants |
| Smith, Jim | Jim Smith |
| Smithour, Ken & Marlyn | Gardenia Gardens and Design |
| Theodoris, George | Artisan Plants |
| Thiel, Justin | Succulent Fanatic |
| Vargas, Oscar | Green Touch Nursery |
| Verkler, Stan | Desert Rose of Santa Cruz |
| Wikert, J.D. | |
| Wilkinson, Nick | Grow Nursery |
| Wolf, Annie | Succulents & Desert Wonders |
| SFCSS | SFCSS |
With 40+ vendors, this promises to be one of the largest events of its type ever held in Northern California.
Check out the SFCSS website for a detailed vendor breakdown.
The hours are as follows:
SFCSS members only:
Friday, June 16, 3-7pm,
Saturday, June 17, 9-10am
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
SFCSS 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I won't be able to go this year. I have a family function the same weekend.
DeleteLove those posters! Very collectable too.
ReplyDeleteChavli
Agreed!
DeleteLooks like a fantastic event! I can't go that weekend, hopefully next year.
ReplyDeleteMe neither, unfortunately.
DeleteThat 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 ;)
ReplyDeleteI do, too!
DeleteAh, California. You are a special place šµ Missing you here in Georgia.
ReplyDelete:-)
DeleteI 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!)
ReplyDeleteSFCSS 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