There is so much beauty here on the Olympic Peninsula. A lot of it occurs naturally, but some of it is purposely organized in beautifully designed gardens and landscapes. Not everyone is a gardener, but most everyone can appreciate the beauty of gardens.

A garden show is a perfect avenue for nurseries, landscapers and vendors of garden-related items to showcase their products and services. It is also a perfect avenue for gardeners and garden lovers to find what they need. It’s a win-win. Soroptimist International of Sequim decided to provide that to the community, having the first Gala Garden Show in 1999.

The show is held the third weekend in March, ushering in spring. It’s a time when gardeners are looking for new plants and items to add to the décor of their gardens. In addition to vendors, we have speakers who share their knowledge about a variety of topics—from vegetables to flowers to trees. There is also an area with multiple items being raffled.

The Gala Garden Show usually draws nearly 2,000 visitors. This past year we had over 40 vendors, 11 of which were nurseries. Our Speaker Series is a collaboration with the Master Gardeners of Clallam County. All speaker presentations are included with the $5 entrance fee; children under 12 are free.

Advertising is a strong element of the garden show. The success we have experienced is not only attributed to the quality of our vendors, but also to the effects of our advertising. Historically, we collaborated with the Sequim Gazette to produce a special tab insert, but we go beyond the development of this publication. Our advertising includes articles submitted to the Chamber of Commerce of Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Greater Kitsap County along with advertisements on area radio stations; KSQM FM, KONP FM, KSTI FM, KPTZ FM and KNKX Public Radio. We are also included in the February-March AAA Travel Magazine for Washington State. Last but certainly not least, we use six social media sites on a regular basis with weekly posts the last six weeks prior to the show—and for 2024 we also utilized digital advertising with Peninsula Daily News. We round everything out with advertisements on local reader boards and a banner posted in the middle of Sequim with hopes we haven’t missed one ardent gardener.