Bakersfield College’s annual Garden Fest is back for its seventh year on April 21.

The festival is free and open to the public.

Food and beverages will be provided by the BC Culinary Arts Department.

The Renegade Ranch trailer and Farmer’s Market will be providing the fresh produce.

Since it started in 2005, it has more than tripled in size.

Sally Sterns, the director of Garden Fest, is enthusiastic about this year’s turnout.

“We went from having eight people and one booth in 2005 to 150 vendor booths booked,” she said.

The vendors range from pet care to arts and crafts.

Free seminars on gardening, floral design, cooking and installing water features like the popular “Build-a-Pond” seminar from Buck’s Landscape Materials and Pond Shop will also be available.

The event is put on by BC’s Horticulture and Agriculture Department.

They spend all year getting ready by growing the plants that are sold and working on the Renegade Park landscape where the festival is located.

Business and sales majors for agriculture will be in charge of the Renegade Ranch trailer.

“This is a great way for the agriculture and horticulture majors to network with the businesses that will be present,” Sterns said. “I’ve had students who have gotten on-the-spot internships.”

Sterns also mentioned that some BC students thought that the park and lab areas were private property.

“After every Garden Fest, more students become aware of the agriculture and horticulture departments,” she said.

“More people come by now and have lunch and enjoy the scenery.”