Stop By and Say Hi!

Memorial Day weekend, Friday through Monday, marks the return of the Jacksonville Spring Home & Patio Show. For some, this is a small step back toward normal.

The 2020 Spring Home & Patio Show started with an awareness of the illness. Few had masks, but there was less handshaking and some general awareness of social distancing. By the time the show ended four days later, public schools had been let out for an early start to spring break. Kids did not return to school last spring, employers sent their staff home, and everybody come to know whether they were an essential worker. Soon, most knew somebody that had gotten sick. Eventually, some had a friend or relative who had died.

The fall 2020 show was cancelled, and the spring 2021 show was delayed. While the Memorial Day weekend is not ideal timing for many, the fact that the city is allowing a convention center full of people is a nice sign that life is starting to resume.

Let us be smart about it. Respect distancing suggestions but let us also enjoy ourselves. If you need something to do over the Memorial Day weekend, and maybe need some help or ideas around you home, come on down to the show. There will be home improvement vendors of all kinds and home related products you can leave with.

And if you happen to wander by the Mr. Handyman booth, stop buy, say hi and let me know you read this column. I would be happy to discuss any home improvement needs you might have, and I am very receptive to content ideas you would like me to cover in this space.

For those that have never attended the show it is a great event. On a normal year there are 300 or so booths covering a wide range of speakers on the stages, products and services in the booths, and idea centers. Some of the backyard concepts are truly amazing. While you may not need, or even want, the exact backyard setup as displayed at the show, it is a great way to understand what is possible. If you like HGTV for developing ideas around your home, you can experience that some effect in person at the show.

Saturday and Sunday, from the 10:00am opening until 2:00-3:00pm tend to be the busiest times of the show. This makes connecting with vendors harder, and social distancing will be most difficult if the isles are crowded. Crowds are often lite during the early evenings, and vendors are happy to spend time explaining their products and services.

And, if you know you are coming, you can save $2 per ticket by buying them online vs. at the door. You can purchase tickets online at https://jacksonvillespringhomeandpatioshow.mpetickets.com/.