Home and Garden Expo

3,549 Views | 42 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by Clucky
AggieHandymanBlake
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8:21p, 3/14/26
AG
Today was day 1 of the home and garden expo. As a vendor, I would say it was a complete bust. We didn't see 10% of the volume of attendees we are used to seeing in years past.

Question - did anyone know it was going on? I feel like advertising didn't happen. Or is this type of in-person show just not necessary these days with websites and social media? Or is spring break week just bad timing?
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FlyRod
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8:23p, 3/14/26
As an avid gardener, I didn't know it was going on. I would have gone. So I'd say major advertising fail somewhere.
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MiMi
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9:22p, 3/14/26
S
I had no idea it was this weekend. No advertising at all.
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Tailgate88
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In reply to AggieHandymanBlake • 9:34p, 3/14/26
AG
Spring Break week is terrible timing, lots of families out of town for break. That said, no publicity at all for this.
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harrierdoc
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6:26a, 3/15/26
AG
The problem is that we don't have a nice, shiny convention/multipurpose center. That will attract all the foot traffic you could hope for.
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maroon barchetta
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7:41a, 3/15/26
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.
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AggieHandymanBlake
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 8:09a, 3/15/26
AG
That's good. Which station?
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trouble
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In reply to AggieHandymanBlake • 8:15a, 3/15/26
AG
I only knew because waterchick mentioned it on another thread this week.
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doubledog
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8:47a, 3/15/26
Buy add space on TXAgs next time. That may help.
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Jetty
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8:48a, 3/15/26
AG
Pretty sure I remember it being mentioned once on WTAW. I'd say very poor advertising….
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Birddog
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11:05a, 3/15/26
AG
I would have gone if I had known. Today is planned such as I can't go. Definitely something went wrong with getting the word out.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to AggieHandymanBlake • 11:27a, 3/15/26
AggieHandymanBlake said:
That's good. Which station?


1150 The Zone
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EBrazosAg
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12:10p, 3/15/26
AG
It certainly wasn't promoted like it has in the past.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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Tailgate88
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 12:25p, 3/15/26
AG
maroon barchetta said:
AggieHandymanBlake said:
That's good. Which station?


1150 The Zone


Ad or Community Calendar?

Another suggestion is they should list some of the businesses that will be there. Just home builders? Landscapers? Pool builders? Audio Video?
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snaglepuss
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12:29p, 3/15/26
Didn't know anything about it being this weekend. Would have gone.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to Tailgate88 • 12:39p, 3/15/26
Tailgate88 said:
maroon barchetta said:
AggieHandymanBlake said:
That's good. Which station?


1150 The Zone


Ad or Community Calendar?

Another suggestion is they should list some of the businesses that will be there. Just home builders? Landscapers? Pool builders? Audio Video?


I don't recall which one. Maybe both. Maybe a guest of Louie or Chip mentioning.

I just remembering hearing it and thinking "I need to keep my wife away from there so we don't end up with plans for the gardens at the Palace of Versailles without the budget of Versailles".
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Jetty
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12:45p, 3/15/26
AG
FWIW I miss it being at the Brazos Center…
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chickencoupe16
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 1:48p, 3/15/26
AG
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.
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Sweet Kitten Feet
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In reply to chickencoupe16 • 1:50p, 3/15/26
S
chickencoupe16 said:
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.


This. Like newspapers, radio is dying a slow death. I'm one of those rare listeners though. Listen to 1150 pretty much whenever I'm in the truck. I honestly don't remember hearing about this but it wouldn't have really caught my attention anyway.
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trouble
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In reply to chickencoupe16 • 1:50p, 3/15/26
AG
chickencoupe16 said:
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.


I am the usual target demo for this kind of stuff and I rarely listen to local radio.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to chickencoupe16 • 1:54p, 3/15/26
chickencoupe16 said:
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.


I listen to local radio every day. KC Wheeler in the mornings on 99.5 The Fox and when possible, Louie and Chip on The Zone

I'm not getting my sports talk from a Sirius/XM host or ESPN. I don't care enough about the national sports scene to do that. They could shut down the NBA today and I wouldn't care so I don't need to hear about it.

I do like some satellite radio in the evenings if I'm driving but I'm a local radio listener for the right hosts.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to trouble • 1:54p, 3/15/26
trouble said:
chickencoupe16 said:
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.


I am the usual target demo for this kind of stuff and I rarely listen to local radio.


Oh, you're a dude now?
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trouble
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 1:58p, 3/15/26
AG
I choose and buy the stuff. I was in charge of our entire recent renovation. I'll be in charge of redoing our landscape.

I just don't do the actual labor
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to trouble • 2:17p, 3/15/26
trouble said:
I choose and buy the stuff. I was in charge of our entire recent renovation. I'll be in charge of redoing our landscape.

I just don't do the actual labor


I've got some projects for you.
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trouble
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 2:20p, 3/15/26
AG
I have a house to get ready to list. I'm busy
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AggieHandymanBlake
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5:01p, 3/15/26
AG
Good feedback. Thank y'all!

This was our third year with a booth. 2 years ago at Legends it was a great turnout. Last year at the Brazos center it was a little slower. This year at the Brazos expo center it was dead. Don't ask me why they keep changing the location, I'm sure that doesn't help.

I'd say more booths than years prior but a small percentage of the attendees from what I'd expect. There were 90 vendors. Apparently they spent $20k on advertising with some third-party marketing firm. They coulda spent a fraction of that sponsoring a Texags forum and gotten more exposure.

Pretty significant time and money investment for us small businesses to host a booth for a flop.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to AggieHandymanBlake • 5:41p, 3/15/26
The timing pointed out earlier needs to be communicated to the event schedulers. The weekend before or after spring break is not a good plan.
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BCSMom
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6:34p, 3/15/26
Hubby and I like to go and knew nothing about it.
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FlyRod
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In reply to trouble • 6:46p, 3/15/26
trouble said:
chickencoupe16 said:
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.


I am the usual target demo for this kind of stuff and I rarely listen to local radio.


Ditto. This place is my "local radio."
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war hymn aggie
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7:07p, 3/15/26
AG
Was there an admission fee? If so, how much?
A fee alone might've been enough to keep the curiousor even the mildly curiousaway."
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armymom
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In reply to AggieHandymanBlake • 7:30p, 3/15/26
If Rusty doesn't post it on Facebook I'd never know about it!
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AggieHandymanBlake
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In reply to war hymn aggie • 7:38p, 3/15/26
AG
war hymn aggie said:
Was there an admission fee? If so, how much?
A fee alone might've been enough to keep the curiousor even the mildly curiousaway."


It was a $5 admission fee. $3 for seniors. I think they do that to prevent non-serious people from just coming and getting the give aways. Regardless I don't think this was a deterrent, I just think people didn't know it was going on.
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halibut sinclair
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In reply to chickencoupe16 • 7:41a, 3/16/26
chickencoupe16 said:
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.

I've heard this for years, but it's not factual:

https://barrettmedia.com/2026/03/11/84-of-americans-listen-to-am-fm-radio-weekly-new-fmr-eastlan-data-shows/
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plant science guy
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In reply to chickencoupe16 • 8:09a, 3/16/26
chickencoupe16 said:
maroon barchetta said:
I heard about it on the radio numerous times the past few weeks.


I'm likely not the normal target, but I only listen to the radio for as long as it takes my car and phone to sync up. Radio advertisement is a poor choice these days and it's only going to get worse.

I'm your same class year, we may even know each other, but I listen to talk radio every day to and from work.

In the morning it's Infomaniacs. At lunch if I drive somewhere to eat, it's Louie Belina. On the drive home it's Chip Howard.

I could listen to my spotify or podcasts but the algorithm does a poor job of suggesting new music I actually like, and I get tired of hearing the same songs repeatedly, even if they're the ones I like. I haven't found a podcast that I can commit to.

I may have heard something about it on the radio
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waterchick
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10:18a, 3/16/26
This is good feedback. Attendance seemed slightly better Sunday. I recall attendance being better a couple of years ago when it was at Legends in early March as well. I remember that particular year because Junior League's Bargain Blitz, which has been the first weekend in March since the dawn of time, was also at Legends. So I skipped out of my booth for a bit and shopped.

I think it being on the tail end of Spring Break impacted attendance. Imo it needs to be before Spring Break because the weekends after Spring Break are always jam-packed (Big Event, Physics Festival, etc.). The Expo used to be last weekend of February, then a couple of years it was Valentines weekend. Best attendance, as I recall, has been when it was late February/early March. It seemed more crowded/busy when it was at the Brazos Center many years ago but that could be because it's a smaller venue.

The 2027 Home & Garden (now it's Home & Lifestyle!) Expo is March 6 & 7 so mark your calendars now. I will try to remember to plug it on here!
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