Special Events at Kauai Community Market
16th Annual Garden Fair
Kauai County Farm Bureau and UH CTAHR
Host 16th Annual Garden Fair
Saturday, April 16th, 2011 at KCC Front Lawn 9am – 3pm
On Saturday morning April 16th at 9am, the Kaua'i Community College front lawn will spring to life with gardeners, suppliers, garden lovers and consumers there to shop the wide variety of plants, landscape products and equipment, and to find out the latest gardening information and tips. Hosted by Kaua'i County Farm Bureau and University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR), the annual Kaua'i Garden Fair is one of the largest gatherings of green thumbs on Kaua'i and a great way to share the bounty of the island firsthand. This event is in its 16th year and continues to grow.

This one-day, free event begins with a "one-stop shop" for the garden, where a wide variety of tropical plants, flowers, produce and seeds will be available for purchase representing farmers, nurseries and organizations from around the island. This is an opportunity to network with organizations that assist gardeners and agriculture, stroll through the many information booths to learn what's new and swap tips. Or learn about upcoming classes to garden – from novice to expert.

The Garden Fair celebrates gardening in all of its aspects, and provides a network of resources for Kauai residents and visitors who are interested to "get their hands in the dirt" and learn more about horticulture. A day long schedule of "Garden Talks" hosted by UH CTAHR provides opportunities to learn about a wide range of gardening topics from fruit and flower growing, to chicken and egg raising, and honey. If you have a specific problem you can visit the Plant Clinic and Agricultural Information booth to visit with area experts, or pick up seeds and growing tips for this year's Farm Fair Fruit & Vegetable competition.

For keiki, the 4-H kids area is a highlight that can't be missed – with a mini petting zoo, hosted play area for toddlers, and planting activities to introduce little ones to the garden. It's also a chance to meet some of our "future farmers" - students studying ag from elementary to highschool level.

For those interested in the food and culinary side, the weekly Kauai Community Market will be extended for the full day with an expanded farmers market featuring a wide range of Kauai Grown fruits and produce as well as value added agricultural products straight from the farm like coffee, honey, goat cheese, local coffees and baked goods plus bentos, treats and hot lunches featuring Kauai Grown ingredients – cupcakes and pies, frozen bananas, Hawaiian plate lunches, local treats like "kulolo" and "mochi", island tacos make for a sampler's paradise.

The Garden Fair is a special time when we have an opportunity to interact with the tremendous variety of people who fit under that large tent called agriculture. Community sponsors of the Garden Fair include: Grove Farm, Growing Greens, Kawamura Farm Enterprises, Orchid Alley, Syngenta, Pioneer, Hawaiian Orchid Source, and Communities Putting Prevention to Work. The event could not be done without the support of Kauai Community College, who is also the co host of the Kauai Community Market.