Spokane, WA

If you are an HGTV junkie and a home improvement enthusiast like my husband and I, you would enjoy the Premier Home Improvement Show sponsored by the Spokane Home Builders Association. Think HGTV in person and locally focused. This year’s show is the first that we’ve made it to and I’m glad we went. We definitely left inspired, full of ideas, and loaded with information from companies who offer what we need for our own home’s improvement.

The show was located at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center (404 N Havana) on Friday April 18 through Sunday, April 20th. I believe the show runs every year at approximately the same time of year. We decided to go on a Saturday morning and it wasn’t too crowded. The admission price was $7 per person (kids 12 and under free). They also offered a military discount of $1 off the regular price. I had a coupon from the Spokesmanreview that was 2 for $10. We also received an additional discount of $1 per person because we had brought in light bulbs for the light bulb exchange. So we ended up only paying $4 each.

The light bulb exchange was sponsored by Avista. They were running a promotion where if you brought in up to two regular light bulbs, you could exchange them for CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs for free, in addition to a discount on your admission. Honestly, doing this alone pretty much paid for our admission because CFL bulbs can cost up to $5 each individually at any store and we got 4 for free.

Once we entered the show and exchanged our light bulbs, we began to wander around and check out the booths. There were two main areas that were filled with different booths from all kinds of vendors. We were able to walk around and feel samples of siding, countertops, decking, fencing- you name it. It was nice to see actual samples of everything. There were some pretty detailed setups in there- including a life size rock fountain showcasing a landscape company’s work. Some booths also put on demonstrations for items like cookware. Others had their products for sale at the show. At most booths there was someone there to ask questions to and get some answers. When you enter the show they give you a bag, which was helpful because we picked up a lot of informational material from different vendors.

There was snack bar area where lunch was sold, in addition to a seating area to eat. This would be a fun outing for a family. Kids would defiantly enjoy it because there was candy at almost every booth. This show is a great place to get inspired and get ideas for any home projects you want to do. If you’re a do-it-yourself-er, you can find some great places to buy purchase materials and if you want someone to do the work for you, it’s a great place to find the company you’ve been looking for. All in all, it was a fun place to spend a Saturday morning.