by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
Preparations for the Jacksonville Home & Patio Show began at the Osborn Center Tuesday.
This year’s “Red Hot Home Improvement” event is Thursday-Sunday and will showcase more than 350 home improvement vendors, according to show manager Hillary Carpenter. Special features range from wine selection with Andrew Firestone from ABC’s “The Bachelor” to how-to Home Depot stations to safety tips from local firefighters.
Carpenter said last year’s four-day event drew more than 30,000 people. The Home and Patio Show is approaching its 39th year, and Carpenter said she’s seen several changes over the six years she’s worked on the event. The number of vendors has doubled and the look of the event has evolved.
“I’ve seen these exhibitors take their exhibits to a whole different level,” she said. “You will see some just incredible displays. Before, people would just bring in banners or flyers. They’re a lot more hands-on now.”
Tuesday, some vendors were already laying down bricks, painting walls or hammering boards for their displays. For example, Home Depot is building a series of small display rooms similar to those located at Home Depot stores. Carpenter said guests will be able to touch and see some building and home decor options, giving them a better impression of potential purchases than they’d get from catalogs.
“It is short and simple, one-stop shopping,” said Carpenter. “If they don’t know what kind of granite counter they want, or cabinets, they will see a bunch – and they don’t have to drive all over town. At the very least, it opens the doors to ideas.”
Carpenter said she’s expecting a larger turnout for this year’s event because of a lull in home sales.
“The way that the market is with houses not selling, we’re seeing more home improvement than ever before,” she said.
People are choosing to invest in their homes through renovations until they feel the time is right to sell, according to Carpenter. She said kitchen and bathroom investments usually yield the largest increase in home value.
Jacksonville Home and Patio Show
Who: More than 350 indoor/outdoor home decor and remodeling vendors, along with special presentations from HGTV’s Pat Simpson, Andrew Firestone (ABC’s “The Bachelor”), local firefighters and others.
What: Northeast Florida’s largest consumer home show
Where: Osborn Center
When: Thursday - Friday from noon-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: $8 for adults, free for children under 12. Thursday is Senior Day with $5 off admission for seniors 62 and over. Canned food donations brought for the Clara White Mission receive $2 off admission. On Thursday and Friday, regular adult admission is $5 before 5 p.m.