Looking for a unique and exciting family-friendly community event this upcoming Labour Day weekend? Well then come out to the Grow Local Fair at the Earthwise Garden, located at 6400-3rd Ave. in Boundary Bay.

The third annual fair is set for Saturday, Sept. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. as a way to celebrate home gardeners and urban farmers while bringing the community together for a day of fun-filled activities.

Unlike other country fairs, the Grow Local Fair is a showcase for home gardeners of all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on pesticide free gardening. The Ready Set, Grow exhibition, organized by Delta Food Coalition, gives gardeners a chance to display their veggies, fruits and flowers and compete in categories such as most unusual, prettiest, or best-dressed veggie.

The contest is a fun way to show your joy of gardening, so visit the Earthwise Society's website to check out all the categories and to enter.

A wide variety of activities are scheduled for throughout the day, starting with Yoga in the Garden, from 9 to 10 a.m., with community partner, Lululemon Athletica. The Tsawwassen Lions Club will hold an old-fashioned pancake breakfast from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and Delta Gymnastics will get kids hopping with a sack race at 11 a.m.

An all day quilt walk will feature the work of the Boundary Bay Quilter's Guild, and a Farmer's Market, sponsored by Thrifty's Foods, will feature local, organic produce, baked goods from Baked in the Bay, and value added products from local farms.

This year's fair highlight will be the ribbon cutting for the Earthwise Society's new Kitchen Garden, built with the help of the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen.

The Kitchen Garden Café opens at noon, following the ribbon cutting. Chef Daniel Meneghini, formerly of Boundary Bay Café, will bake and serve fresh pizza and bruschetta in the newly built cob oven, using heirloom tomatoes and other veggies from the Earthwise Farm.

Also new this year is the first ever Great Slug and Snail Race. Slug and snail jockeys are encouraged to hunt for the slimiest and squirmiest to enter in the race.

If you plan to bring a slug or snail to race, make sure to keep it moist and cool, with plenty to eat before the race. Get your slimer trained and ready to go for Sept. 4. The race starts at 1:45 p.m.

Admission to the fair is $2 at the gate and all event proceeds help support the Earthwise Society's educational programs.

For more information about the Grow Local Fair and for a schedule of events visit www.earthwisesociety.bc.ca or e-mail info@earthwisesociety.bc.ca.