Publications & Sites 
Home-and-garden shows coming to area
Updated: April 6, 2012 1:45PM
Maintaining a home can be a tedious task at times, but spring home-and-garden shows can help make the to-do list a little more manageable by bringing home-improvement experts, new products and local services together under one roof. They can also inspire new ideas to enhance your home and garden for better living or resale.
Upcoming local shows include:
A Home Improvement Showcase Expo will be held at the Lake Barrington Field House the weekend of April 20 to 22. Show hours are 5-9 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Expo will feature free admission and parking, and a wide range of home-related vendors and demonstrations in four areas: exteriors, interiors, outdoors and design. There are also food exhibits and a $50,000 cash drawing for those registering. Visit FreeHomeShow.com for details.
One of the oldest-running home shows in our area, The Chicago Home Show, closes its 26th annual program series with two final expositions in April. The Comfort Inn and Conference Center in Orland Park hosts the first of these on April 14 and 15, with the last show of the season at the Darien Sports Complex April 21-22. The Show brings together hundreds of remodeling, renovation and repair specialists for one-stop shopping convenience for homeowners. Local contractors and tradesmen are available to assist consumers with their questions about home improvements, building products, maintenance and repair services. The shows offer free admission and parking, and run 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. For more information, see chicagohomeshow.net.
Finally, garden and design
enthusiasts will not want to miss
the 12th Annual Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair in Glencoe on Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 22 from 10 a.m to 5
p.m. each day. Admission is $15 in advance, and $17 at door, plus parking. Visitors can tour the Gardens and also learn from some of Chicagoland’s best lawn and garden experts who will be hosting indoor garden displays and sessions. Included among the exhibitors are Craig Bergmann Landscape Design, Inc, William Heffernan Landscapes, Rosborough Partners, Schmechtig Landscapes with Susan Fredman Design Group, and Maria Smithburg with Manfredini Landscaping and Design. Additionally, the Fair features over 100 exhibitors of home-and-design products, antiques and garden furnishings.
The Fair also features a special “fit for a king” garden lecture for true garden connoisseurs in the Botanic Garden’s Alsdorf Auditorium at 11 a.m. that Saturday. David Howard, former head gardener for the Prince of Wales, will be speaking about his 40 years of gardening for the Royal Family and the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. Tickets to the lecture are $70 each, and include a three-day-pass to the Fair. For advance tickets and information, go to chicagobotanic.org.
Julie Morse is a real estate agent licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin.
