Harvest Day garden event coming Aug. 1 to Fair Oaks

For six hours on the first Saturday in August, the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center and adjacent Fair Oaks Park become the site of the biggest Sacramento gardening celebration of the year: Harvest Day.

The Sacramento County master gardeners have been working since winter in preparation for this free event, which will take place Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Harvest Day 2026 will feature three key speakers, as well as more several short talks and demonstrations, all keyed to the science-based gardening advice and information that the UC master gardener program is known for.

The event also will feature several garden-related vendors, including plant sales, as well as food vendors and more than 30 education/informations tables from groups and businesses around the region.

Here is the lineup for the keynote speakers:

-- "Growing Food Like You Mean It!" 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. with Matthew Ampersand, finder/founder of Sacramento's find out farms (a native plant nursery and garden education site) and Community Fruit. He will have advice on growing food year-round.

-- "Future Friendly Gardening: Grow with Purpose," 9:45 to 10:15 a.m., with Rachel Davis, a horticulturalist with the UC Davis GATEways Project. The project develops ways for the UCD Arboretum and Public Garden to "welcome visitors and showcase the creative work and spirit of inquiry at UC Davis," according to its website.

-- "Water You Doing?" 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., with Jon Kupkowski, program manager for Beginner Farmer Training at the Center for Land-Based Learning. He will discuss practices for irrigation success and conservation. The Center for Land-Based Learning is in Woodland, offering training, research and support for future leaders in agriculture and environmental sciences.

These speakers will present their topics in a large tent with seats. New this year will be a sign language interpreter for all the keynote talks.

Details on additional Harvest Day activities will be coming soon.  Expect a full program of events and activities, plus the debut of the 2027 Gardening Guide and Calendar for sale.

The Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks. Parking is free and shade will be plentiful.