GrowFest

Kicking off with classes in mid-March and culminating in our beloved spring plant sale, GrowFest celebrates all things urban agriculture! Our Hauck Botanic Garden home is clad in its spring finest at this time of year. Come learn about topics related to growing food, sustainable gardening, native plants and more as the growing season is ramping up, then join us for a day-long plant sale featuring vegetables, herbs, pollinator-friendly perennials and native plants as well as plenty of resources to help you feel like part of a community that’s growing together.

Whether you’ve never tended a plant before or you’ve been growing for decades…whether you have a backyard plot or a bed in a community garden or some pots on your balcony…we’re here to help you find success on your terms. We can help you find the best materials. We know which plants grow each and every month of the year in our region. We know where to find the best plants and seeds that thrive in our climate. And we can help you set up your garden for success, no matter where you live and garden—even if, like us, you’re in the middle of the city! More than anything, we’re here to help keep you from quitting. The benefits of gardening are bountiful, and no one should be excluded from experiencing them.

Because at the CGC, no one grows alone!

Classes & Events

New for 2026, we’re kicking off the GrowFest season with urban-agriculture-themed classes! Brush up on the topics that interest you, then bring your new know-how and join us for the GrowFest plant sale on Saturday, May 2, 9am-3pm.

Featured

Plant Sale

We source and grow favorite and hard-to-find plants to set you up for a rewarding and successful growing season. We’ll have plenty of classic warm weather crops, CGC-grown rare and heirloom veggie starts, a rainbow of herbs, native and native cultivar shrubs (including dwarf options), native spring ephemerals and native trees on hand. There will NOT be an online sale, so plan to come see us on May 2 between 9am and 3pm for the in-person festivities! First come, first served. Come early for the best selection!

We’ll have a food truck onsite so you don’t have to shop hungry as well as beverages available for purchase. Weather permitting, we’ll also have kids’ activities happening all day for little ones and their caregivers. And since we want you to be able to grab a bite to eat, go back for more plants or just wander the grounds unencumbered, our Plant Sitters booth in the Green Learning Station parking lot will be available to watch your plants while you enjoy the day.

Don’t want to carry your purchases to your car when it’s finally time to leave? No problem! We will have friendly volunteers available to help load your car. Just pull up to the reserved spots on Oak Street (facing Reading Road) near our driveway.

Green Flea

The Green Flea is a booth at the GrowFest plant sale that turns donated used tools and garden treasures into funds for the CGC. Whether you donate an item ahead of the sale, shop the booth or both, you’re directly supporting our work. Learn more about the Green Flea and how you can help!

Location, Parking & Public Transportation

The GrowFest classes and plant sale will take place at the Civic Garden Center: 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206.

CLASSES: Our Green Learning Station parking lot, the parking pads and June Street throughout the park, and spots on the street are all options for class parking. Further details will be sent out in the reminder email several days prior to the class.

PLANT SALE: Parking will NOT be available on our grounds or in our Green Learning Station parking lot during this event. Parking information will be added here as it becomes available. Cincinnati Metro provides bus service via Route 43 that stops within a five-minute walk from the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati. Trip planning service is available  http://www.go-metro.com/how-to-ride.

Volunteering

We need lots of volunteer help to make the GrowFest plant sale a success! If you want to help out, register as a CGC volunteer and we’ll make sure you’re the first to know when volunteer shifts open.