The Madera County Master Gardeners will celebrate the season with a Fall Festival event in the Three Sisters Garden on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
The event will have multiple educational activities for children, as well as adults, with games, crafts and lots of fun for families. In addition, there will be three food trucks on site.
Plants will be available for sale, and also some art pieces, created during the summer by some of the Master Gardeners.
The garden is located behind the campus of Madera Community College, 30277 Ave. 12 in Madera. From Avenue 12, take the driveway at the east end of the campus. Follow the drive, veering to the right, around to the back of the campus to the parking lot there. Three Sisters Garden is the fenced-in area there, a 2-3-acre demonstration garden.
Master Gardeners Cecelia Sheeter and Tresa Varlas are co-chairing the event, and are excited about the activities that will be available. During the spring of this year, they held a first-time event, Garden Day, which was a huge success, bringing individuals and families to the garden, many who had never been to Three Sisters Garden.
“The Fall Festival will be very different from the Garden Day we held in the Spring,” said Varlas. “There will be more educational opportunities at this one.”
The college is participating in this exciting event, and will have a presence there. Numerous student groups will highlight different aspects of the college through their clubs sponsoring games. The music department will be performing throughout the day, complementing the bluegrass band from Madera, who has volunteered to perform as well.
To add to the festive atmosphere, pygmy goats in Halloween costumes will be there to entertain both children and adults.
The plant propagation team will be selling a wide array of annuals and perennials, including cool season vegetables and flowers. A Gardening Advice table will be staffed with participating Master Gardeners, eager to answer questions about gardening.
“For us, the best part of this event is that it underscores our mission not only to educate the public about gardening, but to continue our quest to be a community-oriented organization through the Three Sisters Garden and the Master Gardener Program,” Sheeter said.
The Madera County Master Gardener Program is part of the University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources division. The purpose of the UC Master Gardener Program is to extend to the public research-based information verified by UC experts about home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices. This is their mission statement.
The Three Sisters Garden at the Community College is arranged in sections. As you enter the garden, you see wildlife, butterfly gardens, children’s garden, grass meadow, cottage garden, and a large section of irises. There is a propagation hoop house, compost, chipping, shredding, a huge vegetable garden, native gardens, a Moonlight Garden, and a Library Garden.
The gardens are always open, and the college students come in and walk around. There is no fee to get in. The gate is never locked.
To learn more about the UC Master Gardeners Program, and the Three Sisters Garden at Madera Community College, go to https://ucanr.edu/county/madera-county/three-sisters-demonstration-garden.
Meanwhile, plan to visit the demonstration garden at the Fall Festival, Saturday October 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take the kids and family to enjoy a day in the beautiful garden.