Attendance at Eastwood home show expected to reach record

February 19, 2012 at 12:05a.m.

NILES

If you’re looking for signs that the economy is improving, you might find them at this weekend’s annual Mahoning Valley Home and Garden Show at the Eastwood Expo Center. Attendance for the three-day show is expected to reach record levels — good news for the 150 exhibitors, also a record number.

“We’re completely sold out with exhibitors, and all of them have committed to come back next year,” said Dominic Baragona, show organizer, as he observed the large crowd Saturday afternoon. “I think people are starting to see their way clear to buy something [because] they are more optimistic.”

Another reason for the large attendance is free admission for the first time in the show’s 22-year history. Baragona said sold-out sponsorship was the reason. “We’ve had so many sponsors come forward, and I just decided the Valley needs a break,” he said.

Many of the exhibitors echoed Baragona’s sentiments about the reviving economy, including some who previously had not displayed their products in the show. Those included pianos and organs of Top Shelf Music, Boardman, whose operator, Mark Plegge, said the show led to the sale Saturday morning of a Lowrey Majesty organ valued at $30,000 to a buyer he described as a senior citizen.

“The show’s already a success for me,” Plegge said.

Bill Wiery, president of Warren’s Thompson Heating and Cooling, said he has been pleased with the number of inquiries his company is getting and is not concerned about immediate sales. “We’re trying to build relationships over time, and people who talk to us here may eventually call us in six or 12 months,” Wiery said.

Lynn Hawley, operations manager of Executive Landscaping, Vienna, said he, too, thinks the show offers long-term value, especially in an improving economy. The company featured a large Brussels Block display of a fireplace and patio, which Hawley said took four days to set up.

“We’re definitely seeing more people, and it’s a good chance to show what we can do,” he said.

Many of the smaller vendors said they’re seeing a positive environment, which is helping them with sales.

“This show has been very, very good for us,” said Marsha Strobel, Killbuck, Ohio, whose company, Cowgirl Confections, offers a variety of chocolate-covered nuts. Lines of patrons waited to taste the free samples.

Several patrons said they believe the economy is “looking up” and are considering major purchases. “We’re looking for landscaping, and it’s always fun to see the gadgets here,” said Amy Caskell, Warren.

Kathy Crouse, Cortland, purchased one of those “gadgets:” a steam mop, which she said sold well below the advertised price, but she wasn’t finished. “I have an older home which I want to upgrade, so I’m looking for ideas, and this is a good time to do that,” she said.

Baragona said that economic optimism and free admission are likely to boost total attendance to 16,000 by the show’s conclusion later today, well above last year’s figure of 12,000.

The Home and Garden Show opens today at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.