Free 2026 Golden Gate Park Succulent Expo: 40+ Rare Plant Vendors (June 20-21)

Jon Schwark, President of San Francisco Succulent & Cactus Society

San Francisco Succulent & Cactus Society’s Annual Succulent Expo, June 19–21, 2026

At the San Francisco County Fair Building — on the southern edge of Golden Gate Park at 9th Ave. and Lincoln Way: 1199-9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

Free and open to the public:
Saturday 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday 9 am – 5 pm

Members-only early sale access:
Friday 3 pm – 7pm
Saturday 9 am – 10am

Members can also skip the entry line all weekend!. We will check memberships at the door.

We often think of succulents and cacti as “desert plants,” but the truth is more complex. Many are at home not in true deserts, but rather in semi-arid and seasonally dry climates. Some even come from wetter areas in the tropics & other unexpected places.

Featuring
– 40+ Plant vendors selling unusual species of succulents & cacti you can’t buy at stores.
– Hand-made pottery created for succulent plants
– Plant Hotel (store plants while you shop)
– Exceptional specimens on display in the “Beyond the Desert” plant show
– Expert growing advice, live planting demonstrations.
– Habitat & conservation info.
– Proceeds support the SF Succulent Society’s monthly programs and further our mission of education, conservation, and propagation
– Our friends from the SF Bromeliad Society will also be participating.

Make your experience more enjoyable:
– BYOB – SAVE TREES: Please bring your own box to shop and take plants home
– Please plan to pay by card or tap for quicker checkout.
– Use the plant hotel to store your plants while you enjoy the show
– Pro-Tip: Saturday morning is always the most crowded and longest lines
Sunday and afternoons are always less crowded, so come then if you can.
More space and more registers + additional day (Friday, members only) mean less crowding.

Special Presentations: We will be hosting several programs in the show auditorium over the course of the weekend. These are free and open to the public on a first come first seated basis. Exact times are tentative and subject to change.

Saturday @ 11:00 AM
Show Judges Table Talk
The “Beyond the Desert” show judges discuss this year’s winners and their personal favorites

Saturday @ 12:30 PM, with SFSCS President Jon Schwark
Beyond the Desert: About This Year’s Theme
Welcome and short presentation

Saturday @ 1:00 PM, with Sean Hogan
On the Lush Side: Non-Desert Succulents & Companions, in the Wild & in the Garden

Saturday @ 2:30 PM, with Ernesto Sandoval
Propagation of Succulents from Seed: Tricks and Techniques
Live demonstration with gift seeds

Sunday @ 11:00 AM, Jorge Quiñónez
Beyond the Desert into the Forests and Valleys: Epiphytic Cacti
Includes a live cultivation demonstration

Sunday @ 1:00 PM, with Sean Hogan
Lewisias and Friends: Mountaintop Succulents of the US Northwest