Get inspired at the Home and Garden Idea Fair

It’s been spring for a little over a month now, even if it doesn’t quite feel like it yet.

Luckily for those tired of hibernation and itching to get to work on spring and summer home and garden projects, Clark Public Utilities has a solution.

The Home & Garden Idea Fair makes a return to the Clark County Event Center this weekend with close to 150 exhibitors slated for the multi-faceted event celebrating all things domestic.

The event has been called the “annual kickoff to spring home improvement projects” over the 26 years it has been a county tradition, Clark Public Utilities Communication Services Manager Heather Allmain said. The overall goal is to connect the public to different businesses focused on home improvement.

“Back in the beginning, it was really about putting our customers, who are business owners, in front of the local community to help them promote their products and services that help with home improvement projects, but also for the utility to be able to have that one-on-one, face-to-face contact with our customers to talk about the programs and services that benefit them,” Allmain explained.

Several different features make up the fair as a whole, with the exhibitor booths being only one aspect of the event. A plant sale, guest speakers, a kid-friendly activities zone and showcases of landscaping and home technology all factor into the event.

“What’s nice is there’s a little bit of everything for everybody,” Allmain explained, “so, you’re going to buy your plants, but you also want to see if there’s any new garden tools available and check out the landscapes, because maybe they are doing some new things in their displays that I would want to do in my yard.”

“The nice thing is that it really does kind of connect well from feature to feature in the show which makes it an all-day experience for a lot of people; they will come out for two, three or four hours and see everything,” Allmain said. Having everything in one place means that attendees can be productive while enjoying a weekend at the fair.

“You can go through your ‘honey do’ list and pretty much check off each one of those tasks just based on the exhibitors and the displays and features that we have included,” Allmain said.

Landscape showcase

One of the major aspects of the fair is its landscape showcase where local landscapers show off their trade in theme displays. This year there are eight different showcases featuring everything from “hardscaping,” or the non-plant parts of a landscape, to even showing off a tiny house where the “landscape” can be anything the small dwelling on wheels is parked on.

Although the showcase isn’t a new thing, Allmain said the designs are always changing, so those familiar with past events shouldn’t pass it up if they think they have seen it all. The displays typically show off hot trends within the landscape design industry.

Plant sale

Another prominent aspect of the fair is the plant sale hosted on the grounds. Sponsored by the Specialty Nursery Association of Clark County (SNACC), the sale will feature a variety of vegetables, annuals, perennials, trees and baskets for those looking to get started with their new-look garden.

“That is a big draw for sure, because people can get all their bedding plants, trees, landscape shrubs, those kinds of things, and it’s great to do all in one place,” Allmain said.

Speakers

Periodically through the event, different speakers will be addressing attendees on several different points of interest related to home and garden living.

One of the timeslots features a panel put together by the Building Industry Association of Clark County relating to avoiding scams from contractors. Allmain explained that with the rebounding economy homeowners are now having a chance to look at those types of projects, some of whom might not know the ins and outs of contracting the work out.

To meet that end, the panel has individuals from a variety of agencies coming together to discuss ways to avoid getting fleeced by unethical workers. Individuals representing the Elder Justice Center, Columbia Credit Union, Designers Northwest, the Better Business Bureau and Labor and Industries will be on hand to talk from their own particular sides of the process.

Allmain also mentioned some of the other speakers, including one on Friday looking at radon, ventilation and mold, which given the winter might be an issue for those still soaked.

“Certainly with this cold and wet winter that we had, that’s going to be an issue for people,” Allmain said about mold specifically. “A lot of people just don’t think about those things until it’s just too late.”

Another speaker with the Clark County Master Gardeners program is also talking about more confined gardening, whether it be plants in a container of some sort or using the marginal areas between sidewalks and streets — commonly known as “hellstrips” — in order to garden anywhere possible.

“I think people, especially in some of the housing developments that we are building these days, they don’t have huge yards, so using that grass that we do have available to us, as well as containers, is going to be a popular topic,” Allmain said.

“And of course the chickens are always a big draw,” Allmain added, mentioning the Friday afternoon speakers talking “Chicken Keeping 101” for those thinking about the delicious possibility of farm-fresh eggs on their property. This year, the chickens will be around throughout the fair, as the presenters, Tonya Meyer and Chris Vincent of the Urban Farm Store, will have a booth.

“They are packed, always, with the chickens because people are interested in learning about them,” Allmain remarked.

Some other features of the fair

Allmain made mention of the innovation home, a setup featuring the latest and greatest in home technology promoting both new trends as well as the energy efficiency message so much a part of what Clark Public Utilities pushes for.

The kids zone also makes another appearance, this year benefitting from a partnership with The Vancouver Clinic to provide more activities for youth likely not to be interested in home and garden projects. 

New for this year will be some “Mad Science” experiments along with a “sensory pool” hands-on exhibit and rock painting, a popular activity given the prevalence of different rock-based hide-and-seek phenomena that have hit Clark County in the past several months.