The Montana ExpoPark is packed this weekend as the 46th annual Great Falls Home & Garden Show and Sale brings contractors, businesses, and community organizations together for three days of home improvement ideas and local shopping.
The event is hosted by the Home Builders Association of Great Falls, and organizers say it has grown into one of the region’s biggest annual gatherings for homeowners looking to start spring projects or recover from winter wear and tear.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video here:
Katie Hanning, executive officer for the Home Builders Association of Great Falls, says the show’s popularity comes from the variety of vendors and the convenience of having so many services in one place.
“It’s a one stop shop,” Hanning said. “We have plumbers, electricians. We got it all.”
Hanning says many people arrive with specific questions about repairs, upgrades, or building projects and leave with contractor contacts, pricing comparisons, and new ideas. She says the show is especially relevant this year after strong winds caused damage across parts of the region.
“The winds have been tough and a lot of people lost roofs, siding,” Hanning said. “And these are the people that are coming here to help you out with all of that.”
Hanning says the show continues to expand each year, filling nearly every available space inside the Expo Park building. She says organizers bring in new exhibitors annually, but demand has become so strong that some businesses still end up on a waiting list.
“We filled every nook and cranny of this building,” Hanning said. “There is not one space left in this building.”
Beyond connecting homeowners with local contractors, Hanning says the show supports the future workforce. She says money raised through the event helps the association promote trade education and support shop programs and construction opportunities for students.
“The income that we make off the show helps us promote the trades industry in Great Falls,” Hanning said.
Among the vendors featured this year is Crystals & Sage Candle Co., a family- and veteran-owned business based in Great Falls. The company, located at booth 57, is showcasing its crystal-infused candles made with soy wax, wood wicks, and a hidden gemstone inside each candle.
Co-owner Kristin McComb says the business began as a hobby, but quickly grew through word-of-mouth.
“Our business started a couple of years ago as a side hobby,” Kristin said. “And then as we were giving them as gifts, people were saying, ‘Hey, I love your candles. Can you make us some?’ And before we knew it, it was growing and growing.”
Kristin says the company focuses on using clean materials and fragrances, aiming to offer a safer option for families.
“We specialize in clean fragrance, clean materials. It’s organic soy,” she said. “So it’s healthy and safe for families and their homes, their kids and pets.”
The McCombs say events like the Home and Garden Show are a chance to connect with customers directly and share the story behind their products.
“We get to interact with our customers face to face,” Kristin said. “It’s not like a faceless online presence.”
This weekend, the business is also using the event to raise money for a cause close to home. David McComb says Crystals & Sage Candle Co. is donating 10 percent of its sales from the show to the Montana Vet Program, which provides veteran-led therapeutic adventure trips for struggling veterans.
“They take veterans and the Montana backcountry through veteran-led adventure therapy sessions,” David said. “They take them out on long hikes… and just reconnect with nature and themselves.”
David says giving back is personal, not only because the company is veteran-owned, but because he has been involved with the Montana Vet Program and has seen the impact firsthand.
Kristin explains, “We’re actually a small veteran-owned company here in Great Falls, so we really want to give back to organizations that we truly believe in.”
The McCombs say they were able to raise $400 last year through the show, enough to sponsor one veteran’s trip, and they hope this year’s donations will help again.
“If we can at least help one veteran through this show, it would mean the world to us,” David said.
Friday: Noon to 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 3 pm
Admission is $5, children under 18 are free with an adult, and parking is free. Click here to visit the website.
