Home and garden expo to lend helping hand

 

By MIKE NEUMANN
The Independent

 

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Woodstock homeowners looking to start some home and garden projects may find it helpful to check out this weekend’s home and garden show, sponsored by the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce.
The inaugural event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at the McHenry County Fairgrounds, will consist of more than 35 vendors related to the home and garden industry.
When the chamber hosted its second annual business expo in October, some members suggested that an expo specifically designed for home and garden businesses may be a good draw for the community. Although Cary and Crystal Lake host similar events, Quinn Keefe, Woodstock Chamber of Commerce executive director, said Woodstock’s will be structured somewhat differently from the neighboring expos.
“We’re staying strictly to companies only involved with home and garden,” he said, noting that the chamber had to turn away some business owners who wanted to participate, but who were not involved in the home and garden field.
That does not mean the expo won’t have variety, however. In addition to landscaping companies, the home and garden show will have businesses in specialty fields, such as Brinks Security, The Floor Store in Woodstock and Crown Restrooms. Banks will also be present to discuss potential financing options for home improvement projects.
The free event, with booths inside and outside, will be held rain or shine.
“We want residents of Woodstock to see the services available in their community,” Keefe said.
Because the city has home improvement businesses such as Menard’s and Farm & Fleet in town, Keefe is expecting a large number of people to come to the expo. He noted that the chamber has advertised the event in magazine and newspaper advertisements and on banners.
Keefe added that business owners wanting to sign up for the event can do so through Saturday, May 3, by calling the chamber offices at 815-338-2436.
The chamber chose the date for the event based on other community events and through discussions with vendors. It chose to have the expo last one day, rather than the entire weekend, mostly because many of the businesses are very busy this time of year.

 

This editorial was published in the April 30, 2008 edition of The Woodstock Independent.