WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | For Bob and Janice Trulley of St. John, coming to the Home & Garden Show on Friday for the first time was all about welcoming spring.
"We came to look at the flowers and garden seeds," Janice Trulley said.
"But we already found a lot of ideas we really like for our home," Bob Trulley added.
That is just the kind of response organizers and exhibitors are hoping to get during the show, which runs through Sunday at the Porter County Expo Center.
"We have 229 booths this year, which is a little more than usual. We're seeing that shows are the thing to do and we ended up with a waiting list of people wanting to exhibit. People tell us they felt they couldn't afford not to be here," said Vicky Gadd, executive officer of the Porter County Builders Association. The PCBA hosts the event.
The 7,000 to 8,000 visitors expected at the event are why many exhibitors say they come year after year, such as Julie Krcilek, owner of Small's Garden Center in LaPorte.
"We've been coming to this show for probably 10 years. We have people who come to our booth that we've had as clients for years," said Krcilek, whose booth boasts a flagstone patio assembled on the floor.
"This year we're showing a stone yard, so people know we're a one-stop shop, for plants, stones and decorative," she said.
Other booths displayed everything from gutters to whirlpools, lawn mowers to light fixtures, and air conditioners to credit unions.
"It's our third year here and we like to show people what we do. It's more than just leads for us. It's about getting feedback on people's needs by talking directly to the public," said Tom Archbald, project manager at Premier Window Systems of Schererville.
For Donna George, communications coordinator at the Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana, an organization that coordinates disaster-relief needs such as housing after floods in 2008, exhibiting at the show was also about meeting people, but in a much different way.
"We're here because this show can help us with our needs, which is for volunteers. We're hoping there will be a lot of people come talk to us, including local contractors, companies and people walking around that we can reach," George said.
If you go
The Porter County Builders Association's Home & Garden Show continues 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division Road, Valparaiso.
