Kicking off a weekend long event with local businesses, Augusta’s 19th annual Home and Garden Show began Friday afternoon in downtown’s Convention Center at the Marriott.
At Two 10th St. from 2 to 6 p.m., attendees enjoyed aisles and aisles of displays and demonstrations.
Free to the public and open to all ages, the event allowed home improvement and garden enthusiasts to gain expert advice and suggestions for any “do it yourself” projects.
From kitchen and bathroom renovation to roof repair and gutter cleaning tips, businesses of all sorts lined the inside of the Marriott with goodies, posters and tables.
Pam Rogers, Home and Garden Show manager of 20 years, said she believed the event was a CSRA favorite because members of Augusta prefer to support mom and pop shops near and dear to the area.
“I do shows all over the country and Augusta is one of the best communities for this,” she said. “These are local vendors that live here in the community – these are your friends and neighbors – so people really like to spend their money with local businesses.”
Comparing the convention to a thriving plant that continually provides new plants, Rogers said attendees can shop and boost their city’s economy while getting to know those who live beside them.
“It generates millions of dollars of revenue that goes back to hiring people and buying advertising, which in turn sustains the community,” she said. “It’s not going to the Lowes, the Home Depots and the other big box stores, because it’s going back to your friends and neighbors’ husbands, sisters and brothers.”
With lawnmowers, lamps, plants, jewelry and more, Rogers said the Home and Garden Show allows attendees to shop for a variety of items all under one roof.
“You don’t have to run around 20 different stores,” she said. “There’s also a lot of fun stuff too.”
From pet adoptions to fudge, community members said they enjoyed having a convention that offered something for everyone.
Mother Amber King said she brought her homeschooled children to the show to offer them a different opportunity to learn something new.
“It was an outing where they could ask questions and learn new things, and they love to garden” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be this big.”
Gourmet popcorn vendor Charlie Mack, owner of Mack’s Poppin’ Kettle Corn, said he has enjoyed participating in the show for several years because it gives people the chance to try something new and fun – such as his rainbow fruity popcorn.
“Every year we’ve seen the show grow,” Mack said. “It brings people here a variety of different stuff … it’s good for everyone to have a good time, and there’s always something people need here.”
Kelly Kacprowski, star director of Scentsy, said the convention has allowed her to build a second customer base in Augusta, which has almost made the community feel like a home away from home.
“I’ve gained a following here and actually some of them have become my friends, even though I’m not a local,” she said. “But I come back every year just because of the locals that I know I’ve built a business base with.”
Alongside businesses, local nonprofits were even featured at the Home and Garden Show, such as Canine Pawsabilities Rescue and Augusta/CSRA Habitat for Humanity.
Chief Executive Officer Bernadette Fortune and Board of Directors President Richard Dimenna from Augusta/CSRA Habitat for Humanity said participating in the show gave their organization the opportunity to educate passersby about the work they accomplish within the community.
“Most people think we just give houses away, but we don’t,” Dimenna said. “The people we build the houses for pay for the house themselves … we sell them the house with an interest free loan and they pay us back.”
After building 83 houses, Dimenna said 90% of the organization’s homeowners have paid them back for a completed house.
“We’ve had a remarkable success rate,” he said.
In addition to educating community members, Fortune said the convention has given them countless networking opportunities with local businesses who want to help in the nonprofit’s mission.
“It’s important for us to see other people in the community who might be interested in potentially partnering with us to help build affordable housing,” said Fortune.
From networking at the show, Fortune said Habitat for Humanity was able to secure windows that another vendor was planning on throwing away because they did not work for a particular project.
“It’s things like that and just making sure that we’re doing our best to serve the community” she said.
As shoppers filled bags with business cards and their hands with free samples, many left the event with new ideas and excited for next year’s show.
“It opens your eyes to things you’ve never even thought about,” said Constance Roberts, a regular fan of the Home and Garden Show. “It’s very informative.”
The Home and Garden Show will continue on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit https://showtechnology.com/shows/augusta-home-and-garden-show.
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education, lifestyle and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
