San Mateo County Fair
2021 San Mateo County Fair
The San Mateo County Fair was the first in the state to reopen from the coronavirus and the largest and only summer fair taking place in the SF Bay Area this year. San Mateo and San Francisco County Master Gardeners have been award-winning participants in the San Mateo County fair for years, and this year was no exception.
Master Gardeners had six exhibits in the Floral Arts, Agriculture and Display Gardens categories, the most of any exhibitor. All exhibits won ribbons and cash prizes and props from Nancy McDougal, the Floral, Agriculture, and Gardens Supervisor for the fair. San Mateo and San Francisco Master Gardeners designed all exhibits; grew and assembled plants and other garden materials; and built the displays both off and onsite.
One of our entries was an 8x10 foot keyhole garden constructed out of bamboo and straw. Written information about the construction, benefits, and history of keyhole gardens and companion planting was provided in an additional educational exhibit along with photographs and diagrams. Another entry was an 8x10 foot display garden featuring succulents and other plants, colorful cinder block structures, and a fantastic newly constructed MG potting bench. This entry also included hanging planters creative filled and displayed with succulents and an old metal child’s wagon bursting with more colorful succulents. Our balcony garden exhibit was Mexican-themed and built around a newly painted navy blue bistro table adorned with a bottle of Sangria along with two glasses and brightly colored Talavera pots filled with fabulous plants. Two exhibits showed off recent Master Gardener community beautification projects: the Foster City Pollinator Garden Habitat and the Fair Oaks Adult Activity Center. Plants in all six exhibits contained labels with both the common name and botanical name of each plant.