Our Annual Plant Festivals

The Civic Garden Center holds two large plant festivals each year: one in the spring and one in the fall. By purchasing plants through our events, you’re also supporting our work!

GrowFest: Always First Saturday in May!

Springtime at the Civic Garden Center is synonymous with our annual Plant Sale, our biggest fundraiser of the year. Since 1960, this regionally beloved event has generated operating income to help us carry out our mission of building community through gardening, education and environmental stewardship.

In 2024, The Plant Sale is becoming GrowFest, a day-long festival including free educational sessions, food trucks, entertainment and more—and of course, PLANTS! Read the story behind this evolution here.

Want to volunteer for the Plant Sale? Register here!

Thank you to our 2023 sponsors:

 
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A group of people browse at the Civic Garden Center's annual plant sale.
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A group of people stand in line to purchase their selections at the Civic Garden Center's annual plant sale.
Customers at the Civic Garden Center's annual plant sale talk to experts about plants.
A woman organizes plants for the Civic Garden Center's annual plant sale.
A group of people shop the Civic Garden Center's annual plant sale.
Rosemary starts are set up for sale in front of the Civic Garden Center.
The set up of the Civic Garden Center's annual plant sale.

Green Flea

The Green Flea is a booth at the Spring Plant Sale that turns donated used tools and garden treasures into funds for the Civic Garden Center. Whether you donate an item, shop the booth, or both, you’re directly support the CGC’s work. Learn more about the Green Flea and how you can help!

The Fall Native Plant Festival

Did you know Fall is one of the best times of year to plant spring-blooming bulbs, cool-season annuals, and many trees, shrubs and perennials? Fall planting is all about giving the plant a chance to put on root growth, which continues until temperatures average about 48°F/9°C. Plantings will be raring to go come spring, thanks to the roots they create in fall. Read more here.

In 2022, we sold our own CGC-propagated native plants through an online-only sale. In 2023, we hosted our first Fall Native Plant Festival—and it was such a success that we’re making it an annual event! Mark your calendar for the first Saturday after Labor Day.

When we have more details about our festivals, the first place we share them is our eNews, The Civic Gardener. Sign up to stay in the loop!