It’s our favorite time of year!! Join the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society for a day of wicked cool plants. The event is FREE and open to the public.
We’re bringing you some of the biggest, best, most talented, unique, (feel free to add 5 – 10 more words here) carnivorous plant nurseries and hobbyist growers on the planet!
Follow us on Instagram and join our Facebook group for vendor sneak peeks!
Members: Bring your beautiful plants for the show, and win great prizes!
Bring as many display specimens as possible to show! Prizes include highly coveted ribbons and gift certificates from some of your favorite vendors.
Fun for Families!
This free event is great for kids of all ages! See some of the most beautiful and bizarre plants from around the world, grown perfectly and all in one place! This unique collection of hungry plants fascinates and engages our young ones; their imaginations go into overdrive and many wish to learn more about their world! We have many kids attending our meetings so feel free to bring them to those too.
Vendor Lineup
🌟 BACPS Bucks Vendor
- A & J Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- Alameda County Mosquito Abatement
- Bryce’s Bog and Garden 🌟
- California Carnivores 🌟
- Carnivero 🌟
- Carnivorous Carnivores 🌟
- Chentomology 🌟
- Cloud Forest Flora 🌟
- Crayton Bowman
- Don Elkins / Mesa Exotics
- DP’s CPs 🌟
- Fresno Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- Hungry Plants
- Jeff Greene’s Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- My Pingtopia
- Phil Faulisi
- Plants That Eat
- Rainbow Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- Savage Gardeners 🌟
- Stephen Davis 🌟
- Steve Galic / @callmemisterred 🌟
- Steve Sykes / Sarracenia Steve 🌟
- The Sun Dewd 🌟
- Tom Kahl
- Turlock Carnivores 🌟
- Understory Labyrinth
- Yuyi Grows 🌟
What’s New in 2024
Only Members can enter plants into the show to be judged!
Starting in 2024, in order to enter for judging and prize winning you must be a current BACPS member. You can renew your membership online (it’ll expedite the show registration process) or we can help register you the morning of the show. If you are not a current BACPS member, you are more than welcome to display your plant just to show off!
We are continuously blown away by the amount of plants that come into be displayed at the show and truly appreciate everyone’s incredible efforts!
Membership does have its perks! Learn more here.
NEW MERCH!
We’re talking a new limited edition show & sale t-shirt, and BACPS hoodies, beanies, and a new sticker design.
New event rules:
1. No outside plants allowed for personal sales or trades. This is the one BACPS event a year you will not be allowed to bring plants for personal sales or trades with other members, only registered vendors are allowed to bring plants in to sell.
If you are not a registered vendor and are found selling or trading plants on school property you will be asked to leave with a warning. Repeat offenders may no longer be allowed to participate in BACPS events.
2. Selling at the club table now requires advanced registration. Please email contact@bacps.org to register.
3. You must register at the entrance and receive a hand stamp. Honestly, you don’t even have to put your real name, list yourself as Bob the Builder for all we care. We just need an accurate head count.
Please also be respectful to our volunteers. If you are found to be causing troubles for our volunteers, you will be asked to leave and may no longer be able to participate in BACPS events.
Updated registration process:
In addition to the physical sign in sheets, attendees now have the option to sign in via QR code that leads to a google form. A volunteer will be working near the front of the line to provide the QR code. Show the completed entry on your phone, receive a hand stamp, and walk in.
Show/Display Plant Entries: 9am – 10:30am
Judging of Show Plants: 10:30am – 11:45am
Show Winners Pick up Prizes: 12pm
Display Plant / Showroom Open Hours: 12pm – 4pm
Carnivorous Plant Sale: 12pm – 5pm
Announcements: 1pm
Auction: 1:30pm
Raffle Times: The first 15 minutes at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm
Pick up your Show Plants: 4:15pm – 5pm
Setup Rules
No shopping or browsing before 12pm. This pertains to vendors, volunteers, and the general public. This also includes putting plants aside to pay for later. Volunteering is NOT a way to get early access to sale plants.
Please give all of our vendors space to set up. If you are found to be shopping, you may be asked to leave the event until the show starts.
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers get to be in the center of the action! We depend on the volunteers to make our biggest display to the public of our society a success!
There are perks! To say thank you, you will get one free raffle ticket for every hour you volunteer, free drinks, and an exclusive 2024 Show & Sale t-shirt!
Volunteers MUST sign up in advance to receive their requested shirt size by June 6, 2024. Volunteers who sign up after June 6 will still receive a shirt but can’t be guaranteed their requested size.
If you’d like help signing up, please email contact@bacps.org. We will not accept any volunteer sign ups the day of the show
Raffle
Raffle tickets will be available to purchase for $1/ticket or $5/ 6 tickets from the Membership Table. Raffle winners will be drawn for 15 minutes at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm.
Please note: In an effort to diversify winners, each person can only win two raffle prizes per drawing. If your ticket is drawn a third time during a raffle calling, it will go back into the pool of tickets.
All proceeds from the raffle will go towards conservation and education efforts by BACPS. Some raffle plants may be set aside for the Show & Sale Auction and to donate to educational talks and classrooms throughout the Bay Area.
Auction
Have a high value plant you would like to try at auction? Register your plant at the Raffle table before 1pm. 20% (or more if you choose) of the proceeds will go to BACPS. The auction will begin at 1:30pm.
Vendor Information
Vendor sign ups are closed! (we may need a bigger venue soon!)
We do have a waitlist going – you can sign up here.
Vendor registration and setup: 9am – 10:45am
Vendors will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please include the number of 8ft. tables desired, if your plants require shade/covering (not guaranteed but we will do our best), and indicate whether you are a Pro, Hobby Vendor, or BACPS Member Hobby Vendor.
Payment for tables is due by June 10, 2024. Payment can be made via check, PayPal, or Venmo. Payment instructions will be sent when reservation is confirmed.
Sale tables can be shared but sharing tables must be arranged between vendors. We will have a post on our Facebook group to help smaller vendors connect with each other in the next week.
Club Sales Table
Only have a few plants to sell and don’t want to commit to purchasing a table?
BACPS offers a club sales table for hobbyist members in good standing. Plants are to be priced by the owner with price tags that also clearly identify the owner’s full name. The club will keep 20% of the sales.
Selling at the club table now requires advanced registration.
Please email contact@bacps.org to register.
Show Entry / Display Plants Information
Members: Bring your beautiful plants for the show, and win great prizes! Members can bring up to 3 plants per category per person to show for prizes. Awards include highly coveted ribbons and gift certificates to be used with our generous BACPS Bucks vendors!
🌟 BACPS Bucks 🌟
Winners will receive BACPS Bucks – a gift certificate to be used at any of the participating vendors on the day of the show & sale!
- A & J Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- Bryce’s Bog and Garden 🌟
- California Carnivores 🌟
- Carnivero 🌟
- Carnivorous Carnivores 🌟
- Chentomology 🌟
- Cloud Forest Flora 🌟
- DP’s CPs 🌟
- Fresno Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- Jeff Greene’s Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- Rainbow Carnivorous Plants 🌟
- Savage Gardeners 🌟
- Stephen Davis 🌟
- Steve Galic / @callmemisterred 🌟
- Steve Sykes / Sarracenia Steve 🌟
- The Sun Dewd 🌟
- Turlock Carnivores 🌟
- Yuyi Grows 🌟
🌟 Thank you to our 2024 BACPS Bucks vendors 🌟
Schedule:
Show/Display Plant Entries and registration on LAFAYETTE St:
9am – 10:30am
Judging of Show Plants: 10:30am – 11:45am
Winners Pick up Prizes from Show Room: 12pm
Show Plants Viewing / Showroom: 12pm – 4pm
Pick up your Show Plants & Show Prizes: 4:15pm – 5pm
How to Enter:
Entries must have been grown by the individual for more than 6 months. Plants that were purchased within 6 months of the show will be disqualified. All registrants must fill out a plant registration form at the table outside the display room. If you want to save time, entry forms are available below to print and fill out before you arrive.
Once plants have been registered, volunteers will be available in the display room to help with the placement of the plants and direct exhibitors to where their entries should be placed.
There will be separate tables for entries by professional growers and hobbyists. Bring in your best!!!!
Winner’s Gift Certificate Amounts:
Best in Show
1st: $200
2nd: $150
3rd: $100
Individual Display Categories:
1st: $75
2nd: $50
3rd: $25
Who can Enter:
Only BACPS members in good standing may enter to win prizes.
Hobbyists & Hobby Vendors: Can enter general contest.
Professionals: Professional vendors may only enter into the “Professional Grower” category. These will only be judged for first place so bring your best!
Rookies: If you are a new CP enthusiast and this is your first show, you are eligible for a Rookie Award. Rookies must have been in the carnivorous plant hobby for two years or less. This means the grower started growing carnivorous plants between 2022 and now. On the third line of your entry form, print “Rookie.” In addition to being eligible for the Rookie Award your entry will be eligible for all other awards and will be judged with the other entries.
The Display Entry Categories:
- Venus Flytrap: Dionaea
- Sundew: Drosera
- Butterwort: Pinguicula
- American Pitcher: Sarracenia
- Asian Pitcher: Nepenthes
- Other Pitcher: Brocchinia, Cephalotus, Darlingtonia, Heliamphora
- Aquatic: Aldrovanda, Genlisea, Utricularia
- Other: Roridula, Drosophyllum, Catopsis, Brocchinia, Stylidium, Byblis, Triantha, Tryphyophyllum
- Arrangement: Dish garden, Terrarium, Bog Garden
- Art Work: Sculptures, Photography, Arrangements, Paintings, etc.
- Rookie award: Any category (except Art Work) – see “ROOKIES” above
- Professionally Grown
Special Awards:
- Best in Show
- People’s Choice
- The Geoff Wong Award for Horticultural Excellence
Judging Criteria
The following criteria, as applicable, will be applied to plants entered in BACPS judged competitions:
Horticultural excellence will be the primary factor in making awards. Entries that are comparably well-grown will be differentiated by quality of presentation.
Difficulty of cultivation will be considered in evaluating horticultural excellence. Rarity by itself is not a consideration.
- Horticultural Excellence (70 points)
- Vigor: maturity, size, form, color
- Health: no diseases or pests; no blemishes from disease, pests, sunburn, etc.
- Attention to details: balance and symmetry, training, spacing, condition of companion plants
- Presentation (30 points)
- Overall appearance: aesthetically appealing, eye catching
- Grooming: dead leaves & flowers trimmed, weeds removed, pot clean
- Attention to details: container complementary to plant, unobtrusively staked, top dressed if needed
Please note: Individuals who are not displaying plants will not be allowed to enter the display area until judging is completed. Registrants who are displaying plants are to set up their displays and then immediately leave the display area to avoid unnecessary congestion and disturbance to other participants.
Venue and COVID Information
Remember, the last several years have been tough for a lot of people, please be patient and kind to your fellow carnivorous plant enthusiasts.
Safety Requirements for COVID:
Always follow the guidelines for Alameda County. We recommend masks for anyone immunocompromised or if you just want to be careful. People do come in close contact. Most of the event is outdoors.
Parking:
Parking is free. There is an area for parking on the grounds with entry on Chestnut Street. The EXIT is on Lafayette St. There is also plenty of street parking. Be respectful of the neighborhood and residents. Do not block driveways etc.
Entrance to the event: The gate to enter the grounds is on Chestnut.
If you park on the school grounds, exit the parking area through the gate to Chestnut and walk along the sidewalk to the gate marked for people on the map below to enter the grounds. If there is a line, please keep proper distancing.
