NARI home improvement show opens Friday at State Fair Park
250 exhibitors expected, from plants to roofing
Winter may own the outdoors in Wisconsin right now, but indoors, it’s prime time for nurturing houseplants.
That’s one of the messages horticulturist Melinda Myers plans to bring Friday to the annual NARI Milwaukee Spring Home Improvement Show at State Fair Park in West Allis.
“Actually, houseplants kind of were my entryway into my career in horticulture. A lot of us were growing houseplants, terrariums. We even had macramé hangers back in the ’70s,” Myers said in an interview this week. “It’s all come back, and what’s so exciting is we’re seeing people of all ages — especially a lot of younger people — who are new to gardening getting excited about houseplants.”
Myers is known around Wisconsin for her advice on outdoor plants and gardening, but houseplants are a solid bridge between fall and spring for people who love to grow, she said.
“Even for those of us who are avid outdoor gardeners, growing houseplants — especially if you look out the window right now and see all that snow — I’m thinking my houseplants keep me sane during the winter. It keeps you gardening year-round,” she said.
Plus, Myers said, indoor plants “do great things for your house.”
“NASA did research and found that houseplants help remove a lot of the toxins that cause ‘sick office syndrome,’ ” she said. “By having like 15 to 18 small sized plants in your house you can really help take some of those toxins out of the air so you improve the air quality.”
Myers’ show is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday in the Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park, where the NARI show begins Friday morning.
She said houseplant gardeners need to have the right plants for their skill level and the time they can devote to it.
“I’m trying to help people be successful. I’ve got tips for newbies and for those that may have tried and it didn’t work,” Myers said.
The NARI show opens at 10 a.m.
Friday and runs through Sunday. NARI stands for National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and the show includes more than 250 exhibitors with expertise in everything from kitchen and bathroom remodeling to roofing and landscaping.
The show features a variety of special guests, contests and attractions. Among them:
❚ SkillsUSA competition: For the second year, NARI is hosting the official Wisconsin SkillsUSA event in which 14 teams of high school students will be given a blueprint to construct a section of a house over two days, using their carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and presentation and professionalism skills. The winning team will advance to the national SkillsUSA Championship in June in Louisville, Kentucky.
❚ Sherwin Williams Color Trend Interior Design Challenge: Based on “cavern clay,” the Sherwin Williams color of the year, students from Milwaukee Area Technical College, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Mount Mary University and Waukesha County Technical College will design a room.
❚ Culinary events: Cooking demonstrations by Mad Dog & Merrill, LeRoy Butler and Shaun O’Neale, who won the title of MasterChef in 2016.
❚ The Park: Vinnie Hines, a former “American Idol” contestant, is scheduled to perform from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Show hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Cost is $10 in advance (online only) and $12 at the door. Seniors 60 and older pay $8 at the door, while children 17 and younger get in free. Retired and active members of the military enter free with ID. Parking is $6.
For more information, call (414) 7714071.