Santa Barbara Bonsai Club Prepares for 49th Annual Show and Sale

The Bonsai Club of Santa Barbara’s 49th annual Show & Sale gives local bonsai followers a rare chance to see finished trees in person, shop the sale, and watch a club that has spent weeks getting material exhibition-ready. The show is set for May 16 and 17 at Montecito Union School, 385 San Ysidro Rd., Santa Barbara, with hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

That setup matters because this is not just a table of trees and a few flyers. The club has spent the spring tightening every part of the display, from selecting show trees to matching them with the right stands, moss and accent plants. In March, the club said there would be no April workshop because the April meeting was devoted to show preparation, and on April 18 it held a free workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. so members could prep trees for the show or work their material with help from other members.

The educational side is getting a boost from Jonas Duprich, who will serve as the show’s guest demonstrator and also give a club-exclusive critique. For visitors who want more than a walk-through, that is the kind of detail that can turn a casual stop into a real learning session. The club’s own materials describe the annual event as a place for beautiful trees, live demonstrations and hands-on learning, which is exactly what many first-time visitors hope to find when they come looking for good bonsai instead of just polished sales tables.

The venue has become part of the draw. In April 2025, the club credited Montecito Union School superintendent and bonsai club member Anthony Ranii for the school partnership, and a June 2025 newsletter said many long-time members considered the Montecito Union School setting the club’s best location and best show yet. That familiarity gives the 2026 event a stable base, with a campus setting that works for both display and sales.

The club’s history adds another layer. Founded in 1971, with Wally Kunimoto identified as a founding member, the Bonsai Club of Santa Barbara calls itself the oldest bonsai club in California. One newsletter traces the club’s start to Kunimoto’s determination to build a sustainable bonsai program with John Naka, and that lineage still shows up in the way the club runs its annual spring event: teach, display, sell and recruit the next set of hands before the trees go back on the bench.