This Labor Day weekend is a major holiday for Austin's cactus- and succulent-lovers, and it's not just the extra free hours they'll get in the garden. The Austin Cactus and Succulent Society (ACSS), a low-cost club for niche plant fiends, is hosting its big Fall Show and Sale on August 31 and September 1, bringing together several vendors from near and far, specimens from private collections, hand-crafted pottery, a plant raffle, and more.

The semi-annual show and sale benefits the society, which schedules monthly meetings for learning about different cactus and succulent varieties, as well as other organizations the group supports.

For example, the August meeting welcomed Austin grower Jaimee Mayes to give the talk "How to Grow Dragon Fruits and Night-blooming Cereuses in Central Texas" and sell some starter plants; next up in September is "Crests, Monstrose, and Variegates: Natures Freaks, Our Treasures" by Irwin Lightstone. Speakers like Mayes and Lightstone receive an honorarium for their time and expertise, and the club also takes care of the collection at the Zilker Botanical Garden, its usual meeting place.

"The funds from the Show and Sale support the main goal of the society, which is promoting the interest, study, propagation, conservation, and public awareness of cacti and other succulents," says ACSS vice president of publicity Spencer Zamora in an email to CultureMap.

"We use the funds to promote cacti and succulent efforts in Austin as well as statewide and nationally," she continues. "Some goes to the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute and the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. We also support other associations like ours, including the Texas Association of Cacti and Succulent Societies (TACSS) and the Cactus and Succulent Societies of America (CSSA)."

Aside from raising funds, the show and sale help Austinites take better care of their photosynthesizing family members by getting them face-to-face with a variety of specialists, some of whom have traveled from out-of-town.

Guests can also take inspiration from the show tables, which are reserved both for very impressive and unique plants, and more attainable accomplishments for beginners. A new section of the table will be dedicated to plants grown from seed, to demonstrate what can be done in a hobby capacity and how long it'll take.

Vendors at the sale include:

• Rick Van Dyke Pottery
• Claret Ranch Cactus & Succulents - Jimmy Black
• East Austin Succulents-Eric Pedley
• A Bugs Home-David Feller Jr.
• Cactus Data Plants-Woody Minnich
• Desert Quail Pottery
• The Cactus Shack-Richard Stamper

ACSS is profiling some of the participants on its Instagram stories leading up to the show.

Finally, there is a silent auction and an hourly plant raffle for folks who like to insert some chance into the already-chaotic world of gardening.

Tickets to the ACSS Fall Show and Sale will be available at the event, held in the Zilker Botanical Garden's Garden Center at 2220 Barton Spring Road. Entry costs $6 for Austin residents, and $8 for non-residents, plus discounts for seniors and youth. Children age 2 and under enter for free, and anyone with paid admission to the Zilker Botanical Garden can enter the show and sale for free.

More information about ACSS membership ($7.50 for the remainder of 2024) is available at austincss.com. This writer is a member of the club, but is not involved in organizing the show.