Home and Garden Show brings good crowd to Show Me Center on Saturday

Thousands of area residents browsed the latest products from countertops to rooftops Saturday at the Show Me Center during the 30th annual Southeast Missouri Home Builders Association Home and Garden Show, which continues today.

Saturday's nearly 70-degree temperatures may have tempted some to stay home working in their yards, but vendors said attendance has been strong and steady.

"For the weather, the attendance is better than I expected," said Dmitri Thompson, production manager for Cedar Creek Hardwoods of Fredricktown, Mo., who has worked at the home show for several years. "Usually the nicer it is outside, the fewer people there are in here."

This year's show had more than 150 vendor booths showcasing a variety of products and services, including windows and doors, countertops, hot tubs and pools, heating and air-conditioning units and lawn and garden equipment.

For shoppers it's an advantage to find multiple dealers for the same products all in one location.

"It's an easy place to compare prices," said Betty Willis of Jackson, who came looking for a new heating unit and water softener for her home.

Attending the Home and Garden Show is an annual tradition for many local residents.

"I come every year to see all the new things I haven't seen before," said Barb Farrar of Cape Girardeau. "I just bought insoles for my shoes from Happy Feet and I'm wearing them now. We bought a new Traeger grill, too."

For the first time at this year's SEMO Home and Garden Show, Double D Supply Co., which carries Traeger grills, hosted grilling demonstrations. The Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery in Kimmswick, Mo., also conducted cooking shows for the first time.

While some companies say they don't make many actual sales at the show, they feel exhibiting is a good way to get their name out in the community.

"People come an ask us questions, then three or six months later we get a call and they say they saw us at the home show. It leads to a lot of on-site work for us," said Lee Scherer, a technician at Computer 21 in Cape Girardeau.

The show continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and children younger than 12 will be admitted free. A dollar-off coupon is available on the SEMO Home Builders Association website, www.semohba.com.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO