All exhibitors age 18+ must be a current member of a dahlia society recognized by the American Dahlia Society.

Join DSCSF for only $10 per year, or find your local society on the ADS website.

Members of the San Leandro DS, Monterey Bay DS, or Central Coast DS are frequent participants. The more the merrier!

An exhibitor number is a unique code assigned to each person showing blooms. As the the judges walk around evaluating blooms, they will see only exhibitor numbers (your name will be hidden) which keeps the entries anonymous.

If you’ve had an exhibitor number with DSC in the past, it’s the same number.

If you are new to our show (or if you’ve forgotten your number), please contact dahliasocietyofcalifornia@gmail.org and we’ll get your number to you.

The Show Schedule has more rules about vessels (each dahlia society does it a bit differently).

• Most exhibitors use heavy-bottomed bowls or vases as show containers.

• Most use pin frogs glued to the bottom with aquarium glue or similar strong water-proof glue.

• We avoid floral foam.

• You are not judged on your vase, just your bloom.

• Thrift stores or tag sales are great resources for vases and those heavy antique pin frogs.

• Label your vases – tape your name to the underside (where it will not be visible when on display).

Don’t worry too much – technically, you could stick your bloom in a beer bottle and show it, but the pin frogs help with presentation and keep the stems upright and anchored in place.

Entry Cards are new for 2026 – Download Entry Cards

Each exhibit needs an entry card placed with it on the display. Entry cards are folded at the top to hide the exhibitor’s name to keep the blooms anonymous during judging.

You will need to know the Name and Classification Number for each entry.

• We recommend bring a detailed list of dahlias you plan to show – it will save you a ton of time if you can quickly fill out the Name and Class without having to look it up when you’re at the venue.

• You can edit the pdf to pre-fill your Name, Exhibitor Number, and Home Club (the items that are the same on every card) to avoid writing them by hand on every single entry.

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How to fill out the Entry Card:

Above the Fold

• Exhibitor: Your name

• Home Club: “DSC” for Dahlia Society of California or whichever club you’re a member of

Below the Fold

• Exhibitor #: Your exhibitor number

• Level: Everyone who’s new is a Novice, unless you’re a pro or have won a bunch of awards. Check “Novice.”

• Circles and Judge box: IGNORE THESE (those are for the judges)

• Section: Write the corresponding section for your entry. Each “section” has a special location in the Hall of Flowers. Example: There' will be a table marked “Novice + Section A”. We will help you find the right spot, so don’t worry! See the Show Schedule for complete descriptions of each Section.

  • A: Single blooms

  • B: Triples (three of a kind)

  • C: Fives (five of a kind)

  • D: Multiples (seven or more of a kind)

  • E: Seedlings (unnamed newcomers)

  • F: Sponsored (cash prize) categories by the Pacific Southwest Dahlia Conference, including our Flower of the Year: SKIP TO MY LOU

  • G: Sponsored (cash prize) categories by members of the Dahlia Society of California

  • H: Seedlings in groups of 3 in their 4th year of growing

  • I: Themed Arrangements: San Francisco Icons (Show Schedule has more details)

  • J: Junior Classes (under 18)

  • K: Special Classes (such as Floating Waterlilies or Nature’s Oddities)

  • L: Photography

• Class #: 4-digit code (classification number) listed in the ADS Classification and Handbook of Dahlias – free online tool, or booklet available for purchase from ADS. We can help you look these up, but it’s better if you do this before you come to the show. Example: The dahlia named “Bridezilla” is listed as Class #7301

• Bloom name: Write the name of the flower (ex: “Bridezilla”)

This list contains helpful supplies you’ll want to have handy at the show. Remember to LABEL EVERYTHING with your name, if possible.

Show Packing List:

• Scissors or snips         

• 5 gallon bucket with your name

• Watering pail with name

• Many towels (please keep floors dry)

• Containers with solidly attached pin frogs

• ADS Classification Book

• Pens/pencils 

Optional items: 

• A list of your cultivar names and ADS #s (for easy reference)

• Pre-printed entry cards

• Stylet Oil to clean leaves

• Extra fat stems for supporting dainty stems

• Trolly for transporting exhibits

• Floralife additive for vases

The venue will be open to exhibitors the night before the show (starting at 7pm Friday evening), and will be open all night.

We encourage you to give yourself plenty of time…

• Get each entry properly staged (remember you might need extra time to ensure stems are staying strong, or that leaves are clean)

• Make sure your Entry Cards are completely, and correctly, filled out and folded

• Find the location in the room for the corresponding Section for each entry

Your staged blooms must be on the table along with your Entry Card by 9AM on Saturday when the competition officially begins. (Note, the event opens to the public an hour later.)

The Hall of Flowers in the County Fair Building will be open from 7PM on Friday, Aug. 14 through 9AM Sat. Aug. 15 for exhibitors to come and stage their blooms. (Yes, all night!).

There’s a small parking lot behind the building off Lincoln at 10th Ave. You can enter and load-in via the back door in the parking lot. You can keep your car in the lot if needed (must be moved by 9am Saturday), though if it’s not essential to remain parked please leave the spots for others who might need them.

If you have 1 bloom to exhibit or dozens, it’s a fun time staging and getting blooms out into the tables in the room. Lots of friendly people are there to help. We were all first-timers too!