UC Marin Master Gardeners (MMGs) are ready to welcome you to the fair in our new fairground location, new booth, new speaker location (it’s air-conditioned!), and new educational information. We can’t wait to see you!
This year’s Marin County Fair theme is Bug-Tastic! - A theme made for Marin Master Gardeners! We are all about fostering good bugs and offering exit plans for bad bugs. Visit the MMG booth to learn about beneficial insects and ones that are damaging, and how to deal with those destructive critters.
We’ve moved to a new location just east of the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Bug Land! Look for the white and blue Master Gardener banner with the yellow poppy.
What can you expect to find in the MMG booth?
- Educational elements focusing on good bugs and bad bugs – how to encourage the good and discourage the bad!
- The Beetle Lady (https://www.beetlelady.com/) will have beetle cases on display, providing equal parts education and awe!
- Meet pollinator plants and California natives live and in person. (See something you like? Don’t miss the plant sale from 9 am – 11 am, Monday, July 7th – come early for the best selection!)
- How working together, we can save the planet, one garden at a time.
Why should you visit the MMG booth?
- Ask a Master Gardener: From 11 am to 7 pm daily, UC certified Master Gardeners will be available to answer your most perplexing gardening questions. Ask us for low-water, earth-friendly, fire-smart ideas. Query us about your garden problems, fruit tree challenges, how and when to prune; we’re here to help!
- Be informed about MMG programs: farmers’ markets, outreach, school gardens, water walks, and more!
- Discover how to attract pollinators to your garden.
- Learn how you can become a Marin Master Gardener!
On Children’s Day, July 2nd, the MMG booth will offer a scavenger hunt – search for hidden items while learning about plants and bugs from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Looking to chill out while learning good gardening practices? This year, our speakers will be located in the Exhibit Hall, which offers air-conditioned comfort.
MMG Exhibit Hall Speakers – noon to 12:45 daily
- July 2 - David Ross and Sharna Brockett will offer Fundamentals of Aesthetic Pruning. They will demonstrate techniques to shape plants in harmony with their natural structure.
- July 3 - Judy Orsini will provide guidance for growing luscious strawberries. She’ll offer tips on recommended varieties, growing requirements, and how to plant, care for, and propagate strawberries.
- July 4 - Are you aware that Monarch butterflies are in danger of extinction here in California? Peter Noras will discuss their life cycle needs and practical steps that we can take to help them survive.
- July 5 - Want to grow dahlias? Paula Jaffe is the person to give you advice! Learn how to successfully grow large, strong dahlias in our Marin clay soil. Paula grows more than 80 dahlias on two-thirds of an acre in Tiburon. Her "Dazzling Dahlias” were featured in an eight-page spread in Better Homes and Gardens.
- July 6 - Interested in bird watching and attracting them to your garden? Did you know that more than 500 species of birds have been seen in Marin County? Paul Mauceli is an avid birdwatcher who will offer suggestions to help you build a simple, sustainable, and bird-friendly habitat garden.
We are all about sharing good gardening practice, inviting pollinators and good bugs to your garden, and helping your garden thrive with the least toxic pest prevention products possible. Learn more about Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an approach that helps you solve pest problems with minimum impact on people, animals, and the environment here: https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/integrated-pest-management.
Marin Master Gardeners are looking forward to meeting you and sharing our knowledge to help you garden with your best bug buddies!
Visit our Marin County Fair website, https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/marin-county-fair, to learn more about our speakers and see what plants will be on display and available at the plant sale on July 7th.
By Jane Scurich, June 28, 2025