Midwest Bonsai Society Prepares For Spring Exhibit, Workshops And Trees In Training

The Midwest Bonsai Society’s 20th annual spring exhibit was set to give Chicago-area growers a close look at bonsai as it is actually made, not just admired at the finish line. The May 16-17 show at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Center will center on trees in training, a format the society has used since starting the May exhibit in 2004.

That emphasis matters in a season when styling choices, repotting decisions and training progress all come into focus at once. The society describes the show as a non-judged exhibit built around education, and the garden says the event is meant to “inspire, educate, and connect” experienced enthusiasts and beginners alike. It is also a milestone moment: the Chicago Botanic Garden listing says the Midwest Bonsai Society is “proudly celebrating 20 years of sharing this rewarding hobby with the Midwest community.”

The exhibit will run in Burnstein Hall, with bonsai trees displayed in the two courtyards, and it will include demonstrations and a children’s workshop alongside the main display. Free tree registration for members and guests will take place Friday, May 15, turning the weekend into a participatory gathering rather than a simple walk-through show. For local growers, that makes the spring exhibit a chance to place work in front of a wider bonsai audience and compare notes with people working through the same seasonal decisions.

Vendors will be on hand with trees, accent plants, pots, stands, tools, soil, books and other spring supplies. Selected vendors also will present workshops on a range of bonsai topics, giving attendees a chance to learn directly from the same people selling material across the tables. The show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and admission to the exhibit will be free, though regular Chicago Botanic Garden admission and parking fees will apply for nonmembers.

The spring event sits inside the garden’s American Flower Show Series, but the Midwest Bonsai Society keeps it anchored in its own long-running local story. The group says its August exhibition will be its 48th presentation in 2026 and calls it its longest-running show and one of the largest regional bonsai shows in the nation. Its history page says the society’s roots go back to the 1950s, with the first show likely held in 1958 at D. Hill Nursery, a reminder that the May exhibit is the newer branch of an older Midwest bonsai community.