Capitola Begonia Festival Celebrates Its Final Year

The Capitola Begonia Festival returns Sept. 1-4, 2017, for its 65th and final festival.

This annual four-day tradition celebrates the begonia growing and water festival history of Capitola. Brilliant begonias remain its focal point even as the number of events has blossomed. The “gem" of the festival is the Nautical Parade of begonia-covered floating barges, heralded by the arrival of countless handpicked begonia blossoms.  Nearly every Capitola resident has memories of building a float, picking begonias, or watching the parade.

Begonias once grew abundantly in Capitola, but by the mid 1970s the only remaining blossoms grew in Marina. Brown Ranch Begonias, now known as Golden State Bulb Growers, continues to be the generous and now singular source of flowers for the Capitola Begonia Festival. 

Golden State Bulb Growers is retiring from the business of growing begonias, and with it goes the festival's last source of begonia blossoms. The company has, however, agreed to partner with the Festival Committee to grow begonias one last year for this 65th festival.

The Capitola Begonia Festival Committee and Golden State Bulb Growers encourage all who have been a part of the Begonia Festival for the last six decades to come out in September, share your memories, and celebrate the end of a long-treasured Capitola community tradition.

Comments and questions can be submitted on the festival website, Begoniafestival.com, or by email at begoniafestival@gmail.com.  Begonia tubers will be available for sale from Golden State Bulb Growers online at Calbegonias.com until early 2018.