Mare Island - Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
Today and tomorrow and its free. I'll be there and will likely take a spin around the Botanical Gardens also.
By James Salazar | Examiner staff writer
Aug 15, 2025
Dahlia Society of California members oversee Dahlia Dell, the free, public garden near the Conservatory of Flowers that features over 700 plants.
A free, two-day show in Golden Gate Park will celebrate San Francisco’s official flower, awarding dahlia blooms across several categories.
The Dahlia Society of California — San Francisco’s chapter of the American Dahlia Society — holds its annual flower show at the San Francisco County Fair Building at 1199 9th Ave. on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual show and competition, which the local arm has organized dating back to the late 1910s, involves a panel of expert judges evaluating floral displays from members of multiple chapters.
“We take so much pride in offering a free, family-friendly experience at our annual show and competition,” Dahlia Society of California member Jenna Kaiser said of the event, which also includes photo opportunities, a children’s activity table and roving ambassadors who will disseminate horticultural knowledge. Kaiser said this weekend will feature “a spectacular display of colorful abundance.
Organizers say the event, also known as “Floribunda,” allows the local chapter to celebrate its gardeners’ work and a piece of San Francisco’s history. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution on Oct. 4, 1926 declaring the dahlia The City’s official flower.
“In its versatility, its beauty, its infinite variety of color and form, it is the very symbol of San Francisco life and of the spirit of her people,” the ordinance reads.
The City’s official flower is the star of this Golden Gate Park show
Greg