While the show will still feature hundreds of companies specializing in virtually every category of exterior and interior home improvement and design, Marketplace Events has added several features to give the show a bit more oomph.
Speakers and Celebrities
There will be several local and national celebrities at the show. The highlights include Matt Blashaw, host of HGTV’s “Yard Crashers” and “Vacation House For Free,” and Joanie Sprague, who will be an all-star carpenter on the upcoming revival of TLC’s “Trading Spaces.”
Blashaw will appear on the main stage at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Feb. 24, and noon and 3 p.m. on Feb. 25. Sprague will take the main stage at 6 p.m. on March 2, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on March 3, and noon on March 4.
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Fiona’s Cove
Visitors can make a wish and toss a coin into this outdoor garden water feature inspired by Fiona the Hippo. Fiona is the baby hippo who was born six weeks prematurely at the Cincinnati Zoo in January 2017, the first Nile hippo to be born at the zoo in 75 years.
Her story has since gone viral, and all proceeds will go to her nursing care. Fiona herself is too unwieldy to make an in-hippo appearance, but she will surely be there in spirit.
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MadTree Beer Garden
Checking out the exhibitors and strolling through 10,000 square feet of sample landscaping can be thirsty work. That’s why the MadTree Beer Garden will be making its debut, giving you a chance to sit down and enjoy a craft beer (or two). There will be a wine garden on the premises, as well.
Warrior Homestead’s Operation Tiny Tribute
Warrior Homestead is a charity organization devoted to ending veteran homelessness by providing single-occupancy homesteads on farmable land. According to show producer Toni Garbo, these “tiny homes” are increasingly popular with RV enthusiasts and retirees. The Warrior Homestead booth will allow you to tour both premium and basic tiny homes. For every home purchased — the starting price for a basic home is $45,000 — a second tiny home will be provided for a veteran in need.
Want to go?
WHAT: Cincinnati Home and Garden Show
WHEN: Feb. 24-25, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; March 1-4, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
WHERE: Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Cincinnati.
COST: $13 (door), $11 (online), free for children 12 and younger.
MORE INFO: 513-826-3427 or www.cincinnatihomeandgardenshow.com
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