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Return of Orangeville Lions’ Home and Garden Show deemed successful

March 31, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

The Orangeville Lions’ Home and Garden Show returned to the local fairgrounds over the weekend for the first time since 2019.

During the event, money was collected for humanitarian relief in Ukraine through Lions Club International (LCI) and $1,200 was raised.

“That’ll go 100 per cent, straight to the countries around Ukraine that are providing support to the shelters,” said Mike Walker, Orangeville Lions Club president, who also noted that the club recently donated $5,000 to LCI with radio bingo funds. 

He told the Citizen there was a steady flow of attendees over the three days the event was held (March 25-27) and overall it was a great success.

While less money was raised this year than in the past, due to there being less booth spaces available, from 220 down to roughly 150-180, Walker said the Lions estimate the event brought in over $20,000 through vendor fees.

“One of the big highlights is that we were able to put this show on at very short notice,” Walker said. “Because of all the government closures and mandates, we didn’t really look at having the event at all until we saw the opportunity with some of the reductions in the health mandates.”

He said this year was a smaller show with only two of the halls at the Orangeville Fairgrounds available instead of the usual three.

This made for less booths, but the businesses who did attend to advertise their products or services were successful in promoting themselves, according to Walker.

“We had quality vendors and I spoke to every one of them, they were very happy to be out. They were very happy with the amount of contacts they had with local folks, asking questions and for follow up bookings,” he noted.

“Many of them are building companies, landscape companies, heating and cooling folks, and they’re looking to basically fill their order books for the rest of the season and the fall, and even next year with projects. It’s a perfect spot for them to showcase what they have.”

Attendees of the annual event were excited to be back after the two years of it being cancelled due to COVID-19, said Walker

“The attendees, they were so relieved. A lot of the people that are a little bit past middle age, it’s the first time they’d actually got out in public,” he told the Citizen.

“A lot of people were still masked as I was, but it wasn’t mandatory, and everybody was very happy to be there. I’ve received emails and comments on Facebook already saying how great it was and how everybody enjoyed it.”

The Orangeville Lions Club has been holding the Home and Garden Show since 1998 and enjoy putting it on annually.

Walker said the club’s hoping to utilize more space next year, making the event similar to how it was pre-pandemic.

“We’re definitely looking forward to a bigger and better show probably the same time next year,” he noted.

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