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Annual Home Show Boasts Multiple Vendors
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Normal 0 0 1 57 329 oakdale leader 2 1 404 11.1282 0 0 0 John Ruloph, an award-winning pit boss with Sierra Select Distributing, the distributor of The Green Egg barbecue, put on a cooking display for attendees at the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce Home and Garden show Saturday, March 13 at the community center. Bordona’s hired Ruloph to put on the cooking display to showcase The Green Egg barbecue, which is sold at the Bordona’s Home Furnishings store. - photo by Kim Van Meter/The Leader

The fifth annual Home and Garden Show hosted by the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce boasted nine additional booths and 17 vendors, creating a very busy environment for attendees to the free event, Saturday, March 13 at the community center.

Mary Guardiola, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber called the event, “Very successful for participating merchants.”

The event featured home goods, services, and materials — all tailored to home improvement or ownership — from knives to backyard awnings.

Guardiola said the show was a huge hit for the locals, saying, “Many of our locals were unaware that many of the businesses were in the area. It was a very professional home show with lots of variety of home improvement items.”

Local vendor Lori Vierra, owner of Lori’s Custom Framing, said she felt it was important to participate in the home show for the exposure.

“With the economy the way it is we’re offering 15 percent off our custom framing. We’re trying to help people get their projects going as well as give people ideas.”

Another vendor, the City of Oakdale Community Development Department, was on hand to highlight upcoming summer programs, such as the Movies Under the Stars program that features movies shown on the new inflatable screen. The next showing is going to be Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Saturday, April 17 at Cottles Woods Park.

“We really want to highlight the summer activities,” Brea DeRespini, Community Volunteer Coordinator, said. “We thought the exposure would be good to educate the public on what’s available this summer.”

For Oakdale Interiors, a frequent vendor at the Home and Garden Show, it’s all about showcasing new product and garnering new leads.

“We’ve been coming for years to let people know we’re still here,” said Lisa Long of Oakdale Interiors. “It’s always a lot of fun and a bit social, too. We always come away with good leads and it’s very beneficial.”

Guardiola said many of the vendors reported quality leads from the patrons.

“We did hear of two vendors that booked at least eight appointments for service or more information, others had similar results,” she said.

The Oakdale Chamber hosts this event to give Oakdale businesses and Oakdale Chamber members a venue to increase business and exposure, Guardiola said.

“Completing our fifth Home and Garden Show, the Oakdale Chamber feels it was a successful event for the Oakdale economy,” Guardiola said.

At the conclusion of the event, Chris Hodel won a 52-inch plasma television as part of a raffle. Last year, a full outside kitchen was raffled off.