This Friday marks the 30th anniversary for the annual Oceanside Home Expo.
The expo allows people to get up close and personal with experts in the home improvement, renovation, decor and design experts. There is also a wide variety of displays and exhibits to inspire show visitors.
The Oceanside Home Expo is produced by Evergreen Exhibitions Ltd. of Parksville, who is now the largest show producer in Western Canada with 19 annual events in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
In a press release, Evergreen owner Doug Hope said, “It all started with this show in the old Community Park arena 30 years ago. It’s now the only event that we don’t have to sell, businesses just come to us. We always have a wait list of exhibitors, it’s a very popular show.”
Locals can come and talk to industry experts about the list of projects they have for their home, or just go and browse through the exhibits.
Show manager Darcy Hope said the three-day show generates more than $2 million annually for mid-Island businesses. He said the event has become a “much-anticipated event for the home improvement and renovation industry.
There will also be many unique show-only displays at the event.
Evergreen office manager Joni Gilmour said there are more than 100 exhibits in the show this year that will be there for the full three days.
Gilmour said this year there is a quite a range of exhibits such as standard building contractors, counter tops, heating and cooling systems and roofing.
There are a few other interesting things as well such as an art dealer, soap and bath products and infrared heat panels, Gilmour said.
Most of the vendors, Gilmour said, are from local businesses with a few from outside of the immediate Parksville Qualicum Beach area.
“We really try to focus on bringing in local businesses in all of our home shows,” she said.
The expo runs from May 6 to 8 at the Oceanside Place Arena (830 Island Hwy W, Parksville). The show hours are: Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The show and parking is free.
For more information, visit www.homeshowtime.com or call 1-800-471-1112.
