ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Spring has sprung upon the area, which means many people will be working on home improvement projects or getting ideas for spring-themed gifts.
People will be able to get a head start on that thanks to KSCB-The Legend next weekend. This year's Springfest Home Show will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 27 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 28, and everything will be at the Seward County Activity Center at 810 Stadium Ave. Coordinator Cheryl Collins said there will be a lot for people to take in that weekend.
“Right now, we have 94 different vendors signed up to be part of this year's event. But with everything still being a couple weeks away, there could be a few that have to drop out or maybe one or two we add, but that's normal with something like this,” Collins said. “We'll have the craft room that will feature a lot of homemade items, and we'll also have booths for hot tubs, water softeners, home improvement (siding, windows, remodeling, etc.), cookware, flatware, HVAC units, satellite services, pest control services, garage doors, clothing and other gifts, tractors/mowers and other heavy equipment, and food and drinks, among many, many others. There's definitely going to be something for everyone to look at.”
Collins said like every year, this year’s event will feature a great mix of businesses.
“With almost 100 businesses to look at, and all of them in one place, I definitely don't think people will get bored. What really works for us is how we have a lot of businesses who are part of the show every year, and they see a lot of repeat customers, and we also make sure and include a lot of new businesses to help attract new customers,” Collins said. “It's never the exact same event twice because we always find ways to mix things up as far as who we have come in. It's going to be a huge show this year, and like I always say, where else can shoppers look at that many stores in one spot all at the same time? There's something for everyone, and it's the perfect chance to see so many different types of businesses all in one spot. It's also going to be the perfect spot to find graduation gifts or Mother's Day/Father's Day gifts since there will be a lot of those gift ideas at the home show. We have businesses from the local area and businesses from out of town who are part of this event, so we'd love to see that support for everyone. There will also be some organizations with booths to share information about what they do and how they work in the community, which we're always happy to help with. There's just such a wide variety, and it's definitely the time of year to start thinking about what home improvement projects you want to do either with your home or lawn or whatever, so the show is a great spot to get some ideas. And with the aforementioned holidays coming up, the show is also a great opportunity to either get the gifts you want, or maybe some ideas of what you want to get, so the timing is also great for everyone. We used to have the spring show the first weekend in March, but we discovered people actually prefer it a little later because it truly is around this time when people start seriously thinking about that stuff.”
Collins added she is very glad to be able to bring in so many vendors for the event.
“The past several shows, we've been very blessed to have so many great vendors and artists, and they're all amazing. The only downside, however, is with that many vendors, it does create a few issues as far as spacing and planning where everyone's going to go,” Collins said. “You want to make sure everyone has their own space and make sure everyone's not crowded, but with as many vendors as we're expecting, there's less space for people to walk, and it can also make the booth setup a little difficult, especially for the businesses that will be bringing equipment into the building. I have to tip my hat to the Seward County Activity Center employees because they're amazing to work with, and we've gotten so much praise from vendors in the past about the facility and the staff for how helpful they are.”
With everything that will be available for customers to peruse, Collins said she has high expectations for this year’s show.
“I think it'll be a very good show, and I think everyone will have a great time looking at all the different booths and seeing everything that will be there. I expect the vendors are going to be really pleased with the crowd that comes out, because our regular vendors who keep coming back do so because they know there's that support for the show, and we have a lot of local vendors, which is awesome,” Collins said. “We also have quite a few vendors who travel to other home shows who let us know they want to be on our home show calendar and come to Liberal since they love the crowds that come. I also think the shoppers will be very pleased with all the vendors they can shop with. The more people who come out, the happier everyone is. Like I always say, just come out and check out everything and everyone who will be there, there's definitely no shortage of places to look through. Mark your calendars for that weekend and plan on spending quite a bit of time at the Seward County Activity Center doing some shopping, because there's going to be a lot to see. And bring the family, because there's going to be stuff for the younger attendees as well. Overall, it should be a really fun weekend, and I hope everyone has a great time.”
