As spring sets in, the Katy Home & Garden Show and Spring Gift Market is ready to welcome shoppers and those interested in improving their spaces.
The event is slated for Saturday and Sunday, March 27-28, at the Merrell Center in Katy. It is the first Katy home show since the pandemic began a year ago. It has been 15 months since the last one. Admission will be free to help people recover from the winter storm in February.
Robyn Cade from the Katy Home & Garden Show met Stacie Henry from the Home for the Holidays Gift Market years back when Henry held her gift market at the Merrell Center. They agreed that beautifying homes and shopping could go hand in hand.
“We realized that a gift market component of a home and garden show made a lot of sense because women like to come and figure out what they’re going to do to remodel their house, but they love to shop,” Cade said.
Since 2009, the home show has had an area for gift items. Canceled events during the pandemic caused vendors for both the show and market to miss out on income. This spring, the gift market was scheduled at a venue that became a COVID-19 vaccination point, so she focused on a greater presence at the home show. The gift market vendors will be almost a third of the spring home show.
Katy Home & Garden Show usually holds two shows each year. The spring event is the one opportunity to enjoy it in 2021 because a fall show isn’t planned.
Cade said as many people have been working from home, some have realized there have areas of their homes and gardens they want to spruce up or remodel. So there has been an uptick in projects.
Surveys from the home show’s vendors have shown they cumulatively see between $5 million and $8 million in sales over the following year from a show.
“We really want the community to understand the importance of supporting small business, whether, you know, it’s getting remodeling at their house or buying from these vendors,” Henry said. “It’s really important that we teach the community to try to keep our money in our community.”
Henry explained that especially over the last year, people have grown more accustomed to shopping online because it’s convenient when they are already at home. But buying from local businesses supports the Katy-area economy. With home improvements and remodeling, Cade said finding products online has its limits. It’s difficult to understand what countertops or cabinets are really going to look like by viewing them on a screen.
Henry has produced a few gift markets since the pandemic. They have largely been outdoors and with less vendors to allow for social distancing. Henry said it has been hard on a lot of the self-employed vendors, some of whom have gone out of business.
The show and market will allow attendees to meet the creators of the gift products and hear how passionate they are about their work, as well as touch and see examples and ideas for home and garden improvements. Cade said it also helps to build a rapport with someone who is going to be coming into a home to do work.
The show will include an Ask the Experts lobby showcase with a panel of knowledgeable people fielding questions on different subjects. Artists from Archway Gallery will have their work on hand and talk about displaying art on walls in How to Be Wall Wise. Other topics include maximizing space in Home Office Like a Pro and creating a calming effect in How to Zen.
Since the event will be at a Katy Independent School District facility, everyone will be wearing facial coverings. Hand-washing stations will be available throughout the venue. The booths have been draped off for years. Now during the pandemic, the drapes help divide things so that it’s not such a huge open space.
All proceeds from the show’s inside concessions will benefit The Brookwood Community in Brookshire that serves adults with disabilities. The Brookwood campus sustained a lot of damage during the winter storm and will have a donation truck on-site with a list of supplies the community needs.
The event should have around 175 to 200 total booths.
Henry said there are a lot of new gift vendors because some people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic and started their own businesses. Stationery, infused glass, welcome signs, wreaths, ball caps with monogramming and patches are among some of the new items. Other products include home decor, clothing and handmade jewelry and lamps.
“Probably 90 percent of the vendor booths are products that you can’t walk into a local store and find because it’s all handmade and one of a kind,” Henry explained, adding that many of the market attendees come back to buy from the same vendors they know.
Meeting reputable exhibitors at the home show face to face and being able to compare products in person is valuable, Cade said. Also, a lot of the exhibitors will have specials going on just for the show.
“We think that it’s going to be great,” Cade said. “(People are) ready to get back to normal. They are looking to get out of their homes. They’re looking for things to do.”
Admission is free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. The Merrell Center is located at 6301 S. Stadium Lane in Katy. Visit www.katyhomeandgardenshow.com or call 832-392-0165 to register to win a $250 shopping spree or for additional information, directions, seminar times and hours. Parking is free.
