The 28th annual De Soto Home Show on April 6 will offer lots of information for those interested in home improvements.
Admission is free for the event, which is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at De Soto High School, 815 Amvets Drive. Parking is also free.
All ages are welcome to attend the event, sponsored by the De Soto Chamber of Commerce and Leader Publications.
More than 70 vendors will be on hand showcasing products and services for the home, such as heating and cooling, insulation, tree care, plumbing, roofing, concrete suppliers, pool construction, windows, home decor and more. A farm and outdoor equipment supplier, a mattress supplier, contractors, insurance agents and lenders will participate, as will those who offer health and beauty products and crafts. Other vendors will be there representing wedding and event venues, an auto dealership, a tour agency, first responder agencies, churches, libraries and other nonprofit organizations.
Staff from the Wildlife Command Center in Imperial, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group, will be on hand throughout the day to explain its mission to humanely remove unwanted animals from homes and businesses. The organization also offers entertainment and education programs and operates a nonprofit raptor rescue service.
“(Wildlife Command personnel) are bringing some reptiles and birds of prey,” chamber office coordinator Sarah Greenlee said. “They will have them at their booth for people to see up close. We also will have some people from Pawsitive Principles Academy in De Soto.”
A bounce house, courtesy of We Bounce in De Soto, will be there for younger attendees to enjoy.
Coffee from Savannah’s Coffee Corral will be available for purchase, and the Concessionaire Extraordinaire food truck will be at the event throughout the day, selling lunch and snack options.
Attendees are encouraged to stop by the chamber booth for a courtesy bag.
Booths will be set up inside the school’s gymnasium on two levels and in outdoor spaces. Many will offer giveaways, discounts or drawings during the show, and some will have items for sale. Smart visitors will bring along pre-printed address labels, making it easy to enter giveaways and sign up for information.
“Some of the vendors are setting up large areas outdoors to display their products,” Greenlee said. “They’re bringing some of the equipment they use and samples of their products so people can view them. I think that’s exciting.
“It’s one thing to look at something in a magazine or brochure or online, but getting to see it and touch it in person, that helps you get a real sense of what it’s about.”
First responders from the De Soto Fire Department, De Soto Rural Fire Protection District and Valle Ambulance District and staff from Jefferson County 911 Dispatch will be at the event, too.
The home show also will include a silent auction with a wide variety of items.
“We probably have around 50 or 60 baskets right now,” Greenlee said March 28. “There are a lot of gardening items and a lot of health and beauty items.”
She said several businesses are offering high-dollar discount certificates for home-related services.
“We just have a bunch of different items. It’s going to be exciting.”
Last year’s auction featured more than 70 baskets and brought in about $3,000 for the chamber, which uses the money to help fund its many projects throughout the year.
Next up for the chamber is its annual fundraising golf tournament, set for Friday, May 3, at the Raintree Country Club in Hillsboro. Players in the four-person scramble will compete for cash and prizes.
For more information or to register a team, call 636-586-5591 or email desotomo_chamber@yahoo.com.