Blair Home and Garden showcase set to kick off

Annual event to run Friday through Sunday at Blair County Convention Center

With the official start of spring just around the corner, it's the perfect time for the 52nd Blair County Home Garden & Healthy Living Showcase.

The event, set for Friday through Sunday at the Blair County Convention Center, will include more than 100 exhibitors and in-booth demonstrations. There is a scavenger hunt for kids, hourly door prizes and a variety of cash-and-carry items.

The show is a joint effort between the Blair County Chamber of Commerce and the Blair Bedford Builders Association.

"The goal/purpose of the show is to showcase businesses in our trading area that want to have that personal interactive sales experience of the services and products that they have to offer to the consumer," builders association Executive Officer Dave DeBiase said. "We contend that there is still an audience of buyers out there that want to see and touch the products that they are thinking of purchasing and to have the opportunity to talk to sales professionals one-on-one as opposed to reading about it online. The interaction between the buyer and seller has been lost with all of the online purchasing in recent years."

"The Blair County Chamber wants to give the people who live in Blair County and surrounding areas the opportunity to meet face-to-face with area businesses to see what they have to offer," said Jennifer Fleck, the chamber's event coordinator. "A home, garden and healthy living showcase gives exhibitors the chance to really showcase their products and talent. They go all out with their booth space, many build displays that allow attendees the chance to see first hand what could be done to improve their home, garden or lifestyle."

The event includes a mix of long-time and new exhibitors.

"There are a number of exhibitors who have been part of previous shows but some new people as well," Fleck said. "The businesses that have been here before understand that this is more than just a home show. It's a full-family event. That's a major reason why it has been popular for so many years."

This year's sponsors include returning sponsors Champion Roofing, LeafFilter Gutter Protection, Smithmyer Plumbing and Heating and Window World and newcomers Breezeline and Shawnee Structures.

Sponsors and others participate in the event for the exposure.

"We are local and we want to make sure we make our presence known in our hometown. We participate because of the exposure, we get to meet people and explain to them how a roof is built, show them examples of our materials and tell them the story of our company. You get people coming to you, instead of going out to get them," said owner Brent Zimmerman of Champion Roofing, which has participated in the event for about 15 years.

"It is the exposure for us and the opportunity to meet new people. We've been around since the 1940s," said manager Cathy Smithmyer of Smithmyer Plumbing and Heating. "We do projects like furnaces and bathroom remodeling. ... It is just the exposure, it keeps our face out there, it gives people a face to go with our name and company. It's a family business."

The show has undergone some changes over its 52 years.

"From the first show 52 years ago, where we featured mostly home building, home remodeling, home maintenance and futuristic building materials, we have morphed into the lifestyles that people want to have in and around their homes," DeBiase said. "For example, we added the gardening aspect to the show, featuring lawn care products along with the new techniques in landscaping and hardscaping to make their outdoor living spaces more enjoyable. Most recently, we added the 'healthy lifestyle' segment to the show to emphasize the need to live an active, healthy lifestyle to be able to enjoy your home, family, friends and surroundings for many years to come."

Show hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.