What Is the BACPS Annual Carnivorous Plant Show and Sale?

Updated

The BACPS annual carnivorous plant show and sale is one of the largest annual public carnivorous plant events in the United States, hosted by the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society (BACPS). It combines a judged or display-style show of carnivorous plants with a sales floor where attendees can buy plants, and it is open to the general public. If you want to see a wide range of carnivorous plants in one place and potentially take some home, this is the event to watch for. Because the date and venue change from year to year, the only reliable way to confirm details is the BACPS website's event announcements.

What the event actually is

BACPS describes itself as a group of carnivorous plant enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alongside its regular educational and trade/sale meetings, it hosts one of the largest annual public carnivorous plant show and sales in the USA. That single sentence from the society's own homepage is the core of what the event is:

  • A show — a public exhibition of carnivorous plants, which is what makes it a draw beyond the local membership.
  • A sale — vendors and growers offer plants for purchase, so attendees can leave with plants rather than just photos.
  • Public and annual — it is not a members-only gathering, and it recurs once a year.

The scale claim ("one of the largest annual public carnivorous plant show and sales in the USA") comes from BACPS itself, so treat it as the organizer's description rather than an independently ranked figure.

Who it is for

The homepage states that BACPS meetings, programs, and workshops are "free and open to the public of all ages." The annual show and sale is described as a public event in the same spirit. In practice that means:

  • Complete beginners can attend without prior plant knowledge.
  • Families are welcome, since general programming is open to all ages.
  • Experienced growers are the audience for the show side and for the trade/sale meetings that run through the rest of the year.

If your goal is specifically to buy plants, note that the sale is a scheduled annual event, not a permanent shop — you cannot walk up to BACPS on an arbitrary day and purchase plants.

How to find the current date and location

The homepage's "Upcoming Events" section is where BACPS lists what is coming next. At the time this page was captured, the featured upcoming event was a holiday gathering at Shelldance Orchid Gardens on December 12, 12:30 pm–3:30 pm — a regular society event, not necessarily the annual show and sale itself. That distinction matters: the events calendar mixes monthly meetings, workshops, and the big annual show, so read each listing rather than assuming any single entry is the show.

To confirm the annual show and sale:

  1. Go to bacps.org and open the events or "Upcoming Events" area.
  2. Look for a listing explicitly named as the show and sale (rather than a monthly meeting or workshop).
  3. Check the listed date, start and end times, and venue before planning travel.
  4. If no show listing is posted yet, check back later — an annual event may simply not be announced at the moment you look.

What to expect once you are there

Based on how BACPS describes the event, plan for two things in one visit: viewing plants on display and buying plants from sellers. Practical implications:

  • Bring a way to carry purchases if you intend to buy, since you may be handling live plants.
  • Expect a range of species and hybrids, which is the main reason a large show is worth attending over a single vendor.
  • Check the venue's rules — the holiday event example is held at Shelldance Orchid Gardens, showing that BACPS uses partner venues rather than one fixed home, so parking, hours, and access depend on the location.

Common points of confusion

  • "Is it free?" The homepage says BACPS meetings, programs, and workshops are free and open to the public. It does not state admission terms for the annual show and sale specifically, so confirm on the event listing rather than assuming.
  • "Can I just show up?" Public events suggest yes, but always verify the current listing, since venue capacity or registration could apply and is not described on the homepage.
  • "Is this the same as the monthly meetings?" No. Monthly meetings are regular educational and trade/sale gatherings; the annual show and sale is the large public event. Both appear in the same events feed.

The bottom line

The BACPS annual carnivorous plant show and sale is the society's flagship public event: a large annual exhibition and sale of carnivorous plants in the U.S., run by a Bay Area enthusiast group that also holds free, all-ages meetings year-round. If you want to attend, the deciding step is not this description but the current event listing on bacps.org — that is where the date, time, and venue are confirmed.