A May tradition continues at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds this weekend. It's the annual Friends School of Minnesota Plant Sale.
Since its inception in 1989, the almost entirely volunteer event has become one of the biggest fundraising plant sales in the country. There are more than 200 new varieties in this year’s sale.
Kristy Burke from Eagan and her friends were in line waiting for the gates to open Friday morning.
"We come every year because it's Mother's Day, and I always take the day off work on Friday and we come and shop and garden and it's a grand old time," Burke explains.
George Williams of Farmington and his son-in-law were waiting in line to get in Friday as well, and explains why he keeps coming back.
"I believe they keep adding plants every year so the selection is better," he says. "And they've got a real good selection of the native plants. I like getting the plants that are local to the state of Minnesota and they've got a very good section on those here."
Williams said he talked to some people who were lined up at 3:30 a.m. Friday morning to get first dibs.
The sale stocks a full line of annuals, perennials, climbing plants, native perennials, and vegetables, with selected roses, trees and shrubs and an increasing selection of fruit.
A heads up for shoppers however: the sale is extremely popular, and they even have started providing estimated wait times online.
2026 Plant Sale Hours
Friday, May 8: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 9: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 10: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
More information at https://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/.
This is the detailed map of the 2026 sale, showing where individual plants by catalog number are located.
(Friends School Plant Sale)
