For more information:
Mick Shutt, 360-992-3238
Great ideas grow at the Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair
April 21, 2010
It’s that time of year again; time to start preparing your home and garden for spring. So plan a visit to the Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair, where great ideas grow.
This annual event is in its 19th year and will be held April 23-25 at the Clark County Event Center at the fairgrounds. The show hours have changed this year. The new hours are as follows: Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Home & Garden Idea Fair is organized and sponsored by Clark Public Utilities, with generous support from The Columbian and KINK.fm.
Heather Allmain, the utility’s communications services manager who coordinates the show, said the Home & Garden Idea Fair is the utility’s largest outreach event every year. "We want our customer-owners to have the opportunity to attend a fun event that will hopefully inspire them to improve their homes in a more energy efficient way."
This year’s show features special landscape displays coordinated by the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals. These displays along with the Energy Smart home and the guest presentation stage can be found in the Home and Garden Showcase.
Presentations will be offered each day on a wide array of home and garden topics. From green remodeling to planting your very own victory garden to learning to live sustainably on a budget, there is a topic to interest everyone.
Portland’s Shannon Quimby returns this year. Her knowledge and expertise can be seen on KOIN-TV’s Keep it Local as well as in many home and garden magazines. Her presentation, "Salvaged Decorating," will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 24.
There will be about 250 commercial vendors showcasing indoor and outdoor home improvements as well as yard and garden products and services for you to explore.
The Home & Garden Idea Fair features one of the largest plant sales in the region, presented by the Specialty Nursery Association of Clark County. More than 70 nurseries are expected for the sale.
Fairgoers can bring old compact fluorescent light bulbs to the fair for recycling. Clark Public Utilities customers will receive a CFL replacement bulb for each recycled bulb (limit six replacement bulbs). Recycling will be provided by PSC Environmental Services.
Other exhibits include the kid’s activities area, which is full of fun hands-on projects including planting a pepper, creating a terrarium and making peanut butter birdfeeders. There will also be safety demonstrations hosted by the Clark County Fire District No. 6, live music, Mad Science and visits from the Clark County Humane Society.
"This is an event that jump starts spring in our community and we hope that everyone will join us at the 19th annual Home & Garden Idea Fair," Allmain said. "There are activities and attractions for the whole family."
While admission to the fair is free, the utility encourages fairgoers to bring canned food to donate to local food banks, or to make a donation to Operation Warm Heart, a local program that helps limited-income Clark County residents pay their electricity bills. Fairgrounds parking is $6 per car.
About Clark Public Utilities
Clark Public Utilities is a customer-owned public utility district that provides electric service to more than 182,000 customers throughout Clark County. The utility also provides water service to about 30,000 homes and businesses in the Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek, Lakeshore, Hockinson, Brush Prairie, La Center, Meadow Glade, Amboy and Yacolt areas.
Clark Public Utilities was ranked highest in customer satisfaction among midsize utilities in the west by J.D. Power and Associates in 2008 and 2009.