PITTSBURGH — Traditionally held in spring, the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show has been postponed until October.
The specific October dates will be announced later this spring, organizers of the popular event inside the David Lawrence Convention Center posted Monday afternoon on Facebook.
The state’s occupancy restrictions for Pennsylvania were increased 5 to 20 percent capacity on Monday, but that still does not make viable the home and garden show for spring organizers said.
And they worry when the state might be able to sufficiently relax those limits.
“While we had hoped to open in some capacity this April, it is clear that more time is required to address the COVID-19 pandemic,” the event’s executive director, John DeSantis, said. “We are, of course, encouraged by the vaccine becoming widely available and by the rapid drop in cases. There has certainly been a turning point. Like many, we expect that this summer will mark the gradual return to relative normal, but our first concern must always be the health and safety of our guests.”
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The event originally was scheduled for April 9-18 at the convention center.
“Postponing the show to October 2021 will assure that this much-loved event can return with the exhibits, features, celebrity presentations and attractions that shoppers expect from the Home & Garden Show,” DeSantis said. “Show attendees can be confident that they and their families will be safe and comfortable while enjoying their visit. The steadfast support and encouragement that we have received from our exhibitors, sponsors, the Convention Center, and of course, our many longtime show visitors has been truly overwhelming.”
Rather than a mere one-time switch from spring to fall, the event also announced a permanent expansion to twice-a-year events.
“It may seem odd, but for decades the most frequent ‘complaint’ about the Home & Garden Show has been that we only do it once a year,” DeSantis said. “Homeowners tell us that they have projects and questions that often just can’t wait, while the firms who bring their products and services to display and sell at the show would be delighted to see those customers twice as often. Even though it took a pandemic to push our hand, this Fall Edition in October will also be our ‘First Annual’ to be followed five months later by the original show’s 40th Anniversary celebration in March 2022. Then, in October 2022, the Fall Edition will be rolling back around.”
The event also announced a 2021 Show Buyers Guide for people who have projects they want to shop for this spring. This free online resource — housed on the Home & Garden Show website at PghHome.com — lists every exhibit by product category, including direct links to all of the exhibitor websites.
