South’s largest home and garden show opens Friday in Charlotte

Besides the recent balmy weather, a guaranteed sign that spring is closing in on the Carolinas happens indoors over the next two weekends.

The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show returns to The Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte Friday through Sunday and March 3-5.

The largest home and garden show in the South features 15 gardens, six designer rooms and hundreds of Charlotte area vendors.

Attend cooking demos, taste and buy wines and gourmet foods and pick up tips from dozens of gardening, landscaping, building, home improvement, design, décor and remodeling experts.

Several celebrities are scheduled to appear, including Frank Fritz from the “American Pickers” TV show. At 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday, Fritz will answer questions, showcase a few picked items and choose random audience members who attend with their “picked” items.

Flower expert J. Schwanke will demonstrate how to select, arrange and enjoy flowers at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday.

Boyce Thompson, author of “The New New Home,” will present the Top 10 Most Innovative New Home Products for 2017, many of them easy for homeowners to install. Thompson will appear on the Home & Garden Stage at noon Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday, noon Sunday, 5 p.m. March 3, 11 a.m. March 4 and noon March 5.

An interactive exhibit will showcase Thompson’s innovative products, including robots that monitor indoor air pollution, sensors that help track sleep, apps that look after the baby and counter tops that recharge phones.

Chef Jamie Lynch of TV’s “Top Chef” will offer recipes on the show’s Cooking Stage at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Whether you want to revive your kitchen, create an outdoor living space or spruce up your home with the latest decor and accessories, organizers say you’ll find it all at the show.

“This show is your favorite home and garden magazine brought to life,” executive show manager Mardee Woodward said. “Whether you’re a homeowner, lifestyle enthusiast or gardener, this is the perfect spot for you to shop, compare, find solutions and save money for your home and garden needs.”

Southern Spring Home & Garden Show

Where: The Park Expo and Conference Center, 800 Briar Creek Road, Charlotte

Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and March 3-4; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday and March 5.

Tickets: Adults, $10 advance online, $12 at the door; 14 and under free with paying adult; senior days for ages 55 and older, both Fridays, $9. Advance tickets: https://southernshows.com/sss/tickets/.

Parking: $7 at the gate, cash only.

Preview Night Gala: Benefits the Catawba Lands Conservancy, 6-9 p.m. on Thursday. Tickets are $75 and include access to Freedom Hall, food, beverage and entertainment. Buy tickets at www.catawbalands.org/spring.

Show details: SouthernSpringHomeandGardenShow.com.

Sponsors: The Charlotte Observer and Belgard Hardscapes.

This story was originally published February 21, 2017 at 4:20 PM with the headline "South’s largest home and garden show opens Friday in Charlotte."