Home & Garden Show returns Feb. 17-19 to Eau Claire

Jan. 31—EAU CLAIRE — Looking to build on last year's attendance, the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association's Home and Garden Show is adding a couple of new features this month.

Turnout was about 3,300 people during the three days it was held during February 2022 at the Chippewa Valley Expo Center on Eau Claire's northwest side.

Christina Thrun, executive officer of the association, said that was a little below normal for the show, which expects between 3,800 and 5,000 when the weather isn't a hindrance.

Based on attention the upcoming show's social media posts are getting and a waiting list of vendors eager to take a spot if another drops out, Thrun is anticipating a rebound in attendance for the show's return on Feb. 17 to 19.

"We're expecting this year's show to be much greater," she said.

Part of that would be due to the COVID-19 pandemic receding further into the past. The 2020 show, held a month before the pandemic began, was one of the association's best-attended with nearly 5,000 turning out. Part of this was likely due to changing the venue to the expo center after the show had long been hosted in an indoor sports facility in Eau Claire, Thrun said.

After taking 2021 off due to the pandemic, the show did come back in February 2022, but Thrun said that turnout could've still been hampered somewhat by people concerned with spikes in COVID-19 activity that winter.

To help spur interest on, show organizers are making a few tweaks to the format, including the suspension of a long-running rule that vendor booths couldn't sell products during the show.

"This will be the first year our businesses will be able to sell products at their booths," Thrun said.

While she doesn't expect the majority will be selling items, Thrun said she does know that some skin-care goods, kettle corn, home decor, clothing and other products will be for sale.

For the vast majority of vendors though, the show will remain an opportunity to talk with potential customers about their services and maybe even line up some work for the warmer months.

Another new feature this year will be Home & Hops, a wine, craft beer and hard seltzer tasting that will close out Friday evening's lineup.

Beyond the new additions, the show will bring back other facets that have attracted people interested in learning an hourlong lesson on a home improvement topic or just looking to spend a day out with their family.

Seminars held Friday through Saturday will tackle a range of topics including how to start a homebuilding project, improving your home's energy efficiency, being prepared for the 2023 real estate market and even how to equip your garage for charging an electric car.

For the last day of the show, the theme is family-oriented fun with activities for children to do as their parents stroll the show floor. Face painting, balloon animals, juggling, activities led by 4-H volunteers and kits for making birdhouses and tool boxes will be available for youths.

"It's a good day for people to come out with the kids," Thrun said.

Throughout the weekend attendees can also do a photo scavenger hunt, which has a daily $100 cash prize. There's also a grand prize drawing for a $15,000 dream backyard package. That includes a wooden pergola, patio pavers, four stone columns and a stone fire ring.

Patty Marten, garden center manager for Green Oasis in Lake Hallie, has been a co-chairperson of the show for over a decade. Her company also provides plants sold at the show to benefit a CVHBA program that gives money to schools for tools that help students learn about the building trades.

Marten looks forward to the show each year as it's a sign that "spring is right around the corner."

For those who do attend the show on Feb. 17 to 19, she advises them to take a few laps around the expo center before calling it a day.

"If you walk through it once, go back though and walk it again," she said. "I guarantee you'll notice something different the second time around."

This year's show is set to have displays from about 120 vendors, Thrun said, who are all members of the local homebuilders association.