Home & Garden Shows returns to downtown Fort Myers

It’s a big weekend in downtown Fort Myers, as the fall Home & Garden Shows returns to Caloosa Sound Convention Center.

More than 100 businesses will be there showing off their products. That will include everything from pianos, to hot tubs, tile and outdoor waterfalls.

The organizers expect the pandemic to cut attendance by 20% or so, and masks are optional.

Vendors say this weekend is their chance to show off all the hard work they do all year long.

“This should take me probably another two hours,” said Lisa Ballantine with Aquascapes of Naples. “I just have to hook up all of the hoses and fill it with water and finish up some of the rocks obviously. It’s heavy work, but it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Ballantine took it quite literally when she realized she could bring her business to the 25th semi-annual Home & Garden.

“So this is our attempt to put a waterfall that would normally go in the ground on top of a carpeted space,” Ballantine said.

Ballantine’s waterfall is just a glimpse of what businesses are doing to impress everyone who shows up to Caloosa Sound.

“The show brings them leads that turn into business,” said David Pardi, the general manager of expo management.

Pardi is an organizer. He’s seen businesses truly establish themselves at every Home & Garden.

“How they conduct themselves at the store is indicative of how they’re going to contact themselves when they come to your home, so they’ve had extreme success by building their clientele in word of mouth through our shows,” Pardi said.

That’s why they keep coming back.

“We’re constantly working to do different things to accommodate the public,” said Peter Stewart with Superior Sleep. “But we come out here like I said, show off the new items, and we get feedback.”

The 2021 Semi-Annual Fall Home & Garden Show will be held at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers on Sept. 18-19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.