Carson City Home & Garden Show set for April 20-21 at mall

Carson City residents looking for home and garden improvement ideas will find a mall filled with examples at the Carson City Home & Garden Show on April 20-21.

Sponsored by the Carson City Chamber of Commerce, last year’s first-time event was so successful — it drew more than 2,000 people, organizers say ­— that a second day was added.

“This year, we’re expanding to Sunday,” said Ronni Hannaman, the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. On Sunday, “we’ll take the home portion away and it will be all gardening, organic gardening” in observance of Earth Day.

Although Sunday will focus on organics, the entire show will take on a conservation slant. For instance, Southwest Gas will talk about rebates for energy-efficient appliances, and remodels and other green displays will be on hand.

Another expansion is in activities in which children can get involved.

“We’re trying to make it a little more-kid friendly,” Hannaman said. “We’ll have more beauty queens; you know how girls love those beauty queens and want to be like them.”

Hands-on projects for children include painting rocks to look like ladybugs, with the help of volunteers from the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada, birdhouse painting with Home Depot staffers, and painting lessons provided by members of the Nevada Art Association.

For adults, the Art Association also will provide a greater art component in the show, with art displays as well as lessons, and Greenhouse Garden Center will return with its gardening clinics.

The 2013 show will feature 22 small vendors, plus three large exhibits by Greenhouse Garden Center, The Home Depot and Costco, whose displays last year were “amazing,” Hannaman said. Those included an outdoor garden oasis created by the garden center.

“We were blown over,” Hannaman said. “It was like watching the DYI channel.”

Unlike at Reno’s show, parking at the event is free and there’s no entrance fee.