Lisa Halderman of Vancouver approached a small table staffed by two Clark Public Utilities employees and lined with LED light bulbs and informational pamphlets.
She asked about the utility’s program that lets people recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs and get LEDs in exchange. She asked several questions, such as how many free bulbs she would receive (two for every one recycled) and what kind of bulbs would be accepted. Then, Halderman asked for a tote bag.
Halderman and her son attended the annual Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair on Saturday. She said she was unaware of the recycling program and thankful to learn about it. She said she comes to the fair yearly to get ideas for her home and peek at the landscape displays.
“They’re marvelous,” she said.
Crowds flocked to the Ridgefield area this weekend for what is now a nearly three-decades-old tradition. The fair showcases energy-saving ideas, more than 30 plant vendors, a farmers market, presentations and children’s activities.
The plant sale is particularly popular. People packed the plant vendor building, hauling carts of trees, small annuals and succulents.
“Most people just want to know where the plants are,” said Deborah Kainu, construction coordinator with the utility.
This was the fair’s 28th year. The event draws an average of 20,000 people during its three-day run. As many attendants are expected this go-around, if not more, said Heather Allmain, the utility’s Communications Services Manager.
Allmain said the fair is one of the way’s the utility gives back to the communities it serves.
“It can be a real challenge for homeowners to keep track of the evolving products and services that are on the market today. This event showcases a wide variety of homeowner-focused businesses, products and services all under one roof so our customers can feel prepared as they step into the home improvement season,” she said.
As part of the fair, the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals holds a competition of elaborate landscaping displays inside the event center to give homeowners ideas about how to spruce up their lawns and gardens.
‘Outdoor Oasis’
On Friday, Vancouver landscaping business Greenhaven Landscapes Inc. nabbed several awards, including best of show, for its display “Outdoor Oasis.”
The elaborate display included raised flower beds, a grilling area with a gazebo, seating with a mist-producing stone pit, two water features and a large sphere made of numerous pieces of wood crafted by Oregon artist Josh Blewett.
Greenhaven CEO Rick Hooks said he and others started planning the display back in December. They had a design concept by February, and met weekly for two months to make it all come together.
“We wanted to create a space where people could feel like they were relaxing in their yard,” Hooks said. “They should feel comforted by the nature. The colors are warm and fresh; the features are alive with texture.”
Such an extravagant yard could cost into the tens of thousands of dollars. But Hooks said the display was meant to show multiple possibilities.
“People can see that even in small spaces you can have lovely things like fragrance and the sound of water. Having those things to relax after a long day of work can be very rewarding,” said project developer Susan Hicks.
On the opposite end of the event center, kids experimented with various interactive exhibits aimed at teaching them about electricity and electrical safety.
Lauren Flach, 10, had just finished examining a device showcasing Jacob’s ladder, a high voltage traveling arc. Inside the glass display, a spark forms across two wires and travels upward when kids push a small black pedal on the floor.
“When the wires get too far apart, the flow of electricity stops,” Lauren said before getting in line to learn about a Van de Graaff generator.
She placed her hands on a metallic globe perched atop a column. Lauren smiled as static from the generator made her hair stick straight out.
“The fair is something we can do as a family. It’s fun and she can learn stuff,” Lauren’s mother, Courtney Flach, said.
