The annual Fort Wayne Home and Garden Show will return in full strength for its 49th consecutive year at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum this weekend, March 3-6. The show is produced by Fort Wayne Shows Inc. and presented by Windows, Doors & More.
The show will feature more than 650 exhibitors and a portion of all ticket proceeds and revenue will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne.
“The Fort Wayne Home & Garden Show will be back at full strength this year,” says show owner Becky Williamson. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, the show couldn’t host traditional features including crowd-pleasing attractions & educational seminars. Plus, the Garden Gallery space was being used as a COVID vaccination site. But 2022 offers a rejuvenated show lineup.
Back by popular demand are high-flying stunt dogs from Elite Performance K9s. Christina Curtis and her 10 dogs will be on hand to run, jump, catch, weave and perform multiple tricks. The Elite Performance K9s stunts last appeared at the home show in 2019 and was a huge hit with Fort Wayne residents.
There will also be multiple opportunities to learn from the pros at the Like a PRO Educational Stage. Here, showgoers can learn to “Grow Grass Like a Pro” with tips from Fort Wayne TinCaps’ award-winning groundskeeper Keith Winter. He’ll share his knowledge of how to produce a perfect lawn in the Fort Wayne climate; times are Thursday and Friday at 1 and 4 p.m. and Saturday at 1, 4 and 7 p.m.
Attendees also will gain valuable tips during “Organize Your Home Like a PRO,” presented by professional organizer Emily Fitzgerald, owner of OLS Organizing. She’ll share her knowledge on Thursday and Friday at 2 and 5 p.m.; Saturday at 12, 3 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m.
The show’s Garden Gallery will be a welcome treat for winter-weary visitors.
“In the middle of winter, walking through the Garden Gallery gives an invigorating burst of hope for Spring,” says Williamson. Local landscapers, nurseries and garden suppliers will fill the traditional space below the arena floor with plenty of things to create a backyard oasis. New this year to the Garden Gallery is the Broadview Landscaping Nursery Stage, featuring a variety of educational and entertaining acts from live music to yoga, book signings and floral arranging demonstrations.
More than 650 exhibitors will feature products and services related to kitchen, bath, landscaping, interior decor, bedding, windows, siding, roofing, gutters, patios, driveways, garden accessories, gifts, plants, fairy gardens, patio and landscape displays and hundreds of spring flowers.
Other highlights include the return of the Purdue Extension Master Gardener Seminars featuring Kylee Baumle. Baumle is an award-winning author and expert on gardening in relation to attracting the Monarch butterfly. Baumle will be on stage Thursday and Friday at 2 and 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 12, 3 and 5 p.m.; and Sunday at noon and 2 p.m. Other master gardeners from the region will share their expertise throughout the show, too.
Indiana Wild will bring furry, scaly, feathered and shelled friends for attendees to meet. Their educational presentations will take place on the PROs stage Thursday and Friday at 12:30 & 3:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
Three dinosaur “Meat & Greet” performances will take place on Sunday, where kids can learn from dino-handlers and interact with Little Nudge the baby raptor and her mother, Violet. Performances are scheduled for Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Photo opportunities and free balloon dinosaurs will be offered after each performance.
There will also be hourly $100 giveaways, a $1,000 cash giveaway from WAJI, and more.
The War Memorial Coliseum is located at 4000 Parnell Ave. Show hours are Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ticket prices are $12 at the door, $8 for seniors 62 and up and free for kids 14 and under. Find $2-off discount coupons at Home-GardenShow.com. Parking at the Coliseum lot is $8.
A family-owned business, Fort Wayne Shows was founded in 1973 by Ernie Kerns and led by his daughter, Karen Tejera, from 2003 to 2019. Now in third-generation leadership, Karen’s daughter, Becky Williamson, leads the show production. Learn more at Home-GardenShow.com.