Welcome back home

Original Western Mass. Home & Garden Show opens for 4 days at Eastern States Exposition

By K eith O ’C onnor Special to The Republican

WHEN THE 68TH annual Original Western Massachusetts Home & Garden Show opens its doors today for four days, visitors will find hundreds of vendors focused on helping consumers who want to remodel or build a new house, spruce up their landscape, or purchase that newest model stove or other home products.

The show, produced by the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Western Massachusetts, will be held in the Better Living Center on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

The show will feature some 225 vendors showcas - ing a wide array of home and garden products and services, including builders, remodelers, kitchen and bath specialists, financial institutions, landscapers, painters, roofers, pool and spa companies, as well as exhibitors promoting everything from solar energy to garage doors and from windows to roofing.

In addition, there will be exhibitors selling their products or services in other areas that you might not associate with a home show such as health and beauty items, jewelry, mobile auto detailing, safes, food products from Bavarian Beer Nuts to Boston Iced Tea to American Frozen Foods, Tupperware, health and fitness items offered by Leaf Massager, The Turmeric Boss, and Bazin Chiropractic Office, and other unique things.

Andrew Crane, director of the show and executive director of the Home

Builders & Remodelers Association, noted that a spring home show is more feasible than any other time of the year.

“We tried to run one in the fall, but it just didn’t work out. We learned people have other things on their mind in the fall such as the upcoming holidays. They’re not thinking about yard work then or an addition to their house. But in the spring they are looking at their home with fresh eyes and are anxious to get out of the house,” he said.

There are many advantages to attending the home show no matter what project you might be considering from a new kitchen or bath to new roofing or siding to lawn control, noted Crane.

“You can go to the web to look at new possibilities for your kitchen, for example, but nothing takes the place of meeting someone faceto-face and learning more about their service and how they conduct their business or even being able to see and touch the products they are selling,” he said.

The “Original” Western Massachusetts Home and Garden Show is produced by the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Western Massachusetts

Inc. Founded in 1939, the Springfield-based association is a not-for-profit trade association with over 425 members operating in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The association seeks to meet the housing and construction needs of the people of Western Massachusetts and to serve its members and the community by promoting the best interests of home ownership, home buyers, and the building industry. Visitors are invited to stop by their booth located at Door 7 where staff and members of the association will be on hand to answer questions.

Home Show hours are today and Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults; children under 12 are admitted free. Special discount coupons are available for $3 off of regular ticket price. Veterans and active military are free of charge on opening day. For more information and a list of vendors, visit westernmasshomeshow. com, where you can also print out the discount coupon, or call the Home Show Information Line at 413-205-5061.