March 2, 2023 — You’ll be ready to “Celebrate Spring” during the Florence Home and Garden Show March 3-4 at the Florence Events Center (FEC).

More than 45 Exhibitor booths will make the show something special. Presented by KCST Coast Radio and the Siuslaw News, this will mark the 25th time the FEC has been the venue for offering up displays with items for the home as well as services to help in maintaining and improving your home. There will even by exhibitors on hand to help you build or purchase your dream home and assist you in securing financing.

Coast Radio General Manager and show organizer Jon Thompson said he has been looking forward to this show since the 2022 displays were being packed up and put away last March. “We are very proud and humbled to be able to present this show for our friends and neighbors once again,” he said.

The show has become a spring tradition for many since the very first exhibition held just six months after the opening of the Florence Events Center in 1996.

Since that first show in March 1997, Laurel Bay Gardens and Nursery has been the centerpiece attraction, featuring a “walk-through” display. This year’s edition will feature a selection of unique houseplants, indoor and outdoor pottery, and a sampling of gifts and home décor offered at its nursery and gift shop located just 5 minutes north of Florence.

Laurel Bay will also have a selection of “outdoor” plants and shrubs for sale.

Visitors to the show can sign up for cash and prizes to be given away several times during the show. The largest will be a $500 prize to be awarded Saturday afternoon. There is no cost to enter the drawing and you don’t need to be present to win.

More than a dozen vendors are either new to the show or are returning after an absence of a few years, according to Thompson. New or old, the list of exhibitors has been carefully curated so that as many different products and services as possible can be on display.

“I’m very happy with the mix of exhibits this year,” Thompson added. That mix, he says, includes an exhibit staffed by volunteers with the OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Program. They will be offering guidance on gardening and composting. A pruning expert will be on hand Saturday afternoon between 1 and 4 p.m.

One other exhibit that has been a mainstay of the show since the beginning is that of the Siuslaw Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. Not only will members be on hand with helpful information about the region’s signature plant but, if you have a specific hybrid rhododendron in your yard that you can’t identify, chances are they’ll be able to do it for you. Once again, Rhododendron Society members will be giving away a rhododendron plant each hour during the show.

With a wide range of exhibitors and very little duplication, you’ll find products and services to meet a variety of needs. At least one vendor can help with tree trimming and removal. Others can help with specific parts of your home itself. There’s a roofer, electrician, outdoor siding expert and a garage door company. If it’s a clean-up and refresh you’re looking for, you can find someone to seal your driveway or pressure wash your home and clean the gutters. There’s even an exhibitor that will clean the vent for your dryer.

If you’re concerned about maintaining a comfortable interior of your home, there are two heating experts and a wood stove dealer. There’s also someone who can help cool your home and another who will replace your windows with new energy efficient ones.

Tired of your flooring? Replace that carpet or install a new laminate. At the same time, you can speak with someone about updating or replacing your cabinets and installing new countertops.

Services and products won’t be limited to just the structure of your home. A number of other booths will offer products or services aimed at making it more comfortable or easier to stay in your home as you age.

As in years past, there are exhibits that offer tastings of their wares. A fan-favorite — Mama Celia’s Gourmet Foods — will once again be offering their flavored oils and vinegars along with free samples. Popular Old Town Restaurant Nosh Eatery will be on hand with a few tastes of their menu favorites. Spiritopia will also be offering tastings of their hand-crafted spirits.

Among all the more interesting booths include H2O Florence Boutique, Glass Décor & More, Scentsy, and Rodger Bennett Photography. The latter offers stunning photos from all across the globe.

This year’s Florence Home and Garden Show at the Florence Events Center is open Friday, March 3, from noon to 6 p.m. Doors open Saturday, March 4, at 10 a.m.

Admission is just $2 for adults and $1 for kids 13 to 18; kids 12 and under get in free. The admission charge will be waived for the final two hours of the show on Saturday; between 4 and 6 p.m., admission will be free.

The Florence Events Center is located at 715 Quince Street.

The Florence Garden Club will greet attendees the 25th year as a fixture of the show since its inception.

This year’s 25th annual show is sponsored by Oregon Pacific Bank, Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, Three Rivers Casino Resort and Central Lincoln PUD.