OTTUMWA — Even if you aren’t going to build a single thing, you’re likely to find something of interest at the Ottumwa Chamber’s 2010 Home Expo.
“You look like you could use a balloon,” one exhibitor said to three-year-old Emma Jo Schmidt, and handed her a yellow one on a string.
“She’s just been having the time of her life,” said Aloma Lynch of Oskaloosa, the girl’s great-grandmother.
While the grownups weren’t picking out balloons, they were getting plenty of freebies. One woman, clutching a handful of pens, told a vendor she was collecting one from each booth.
“Then I’d better give you a bag,” the exhibitor said.
That was a good call. If only half the booths gave out pens, the woman would have had 65 of them jammed in her hands by the end of the day.
Some visitors spent just a moment or two at each of the 130 booths while others hit fewerbooths but spent more time visiting.
Certain exhibits, like the displays of hand-crafted jewelry, seemed to be drawing more women than men Friday afternoon. At the same time, one of the big draws for guys was a large red truck with a remote-controlled mini-tractor hooked to the back.
“This is really the first time we’ve unveiled it,” said Tom Rodgers with the city of Ottumwa.
The little tractor runs from the truck through the city sewer system, shining powerful headlights and carrying a digital camera. The camera allows crews — and Home Expo attendees — to inspect whatever is in front of it. Inside the city truck, visitors were watching lots of shoes moving by.
But while there are plenty of non-building related booths, the focus is on things having to do with the home.
Contractors had booths, as did insulation dealers, garage door installers and appliance dealers.
Of course, there’s bound to be some visitors who are just tired of maintaining their own home. For those folks, the 2010 Home Expo had booths manned by representatives from local retirement facilities.
The Home Expo continues through Sunday.
Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mnewman@ottumwacourier.com.
Local News
Related Photos
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Mark Newman/The Courier Teresa Long offers samples and explains her product to guests at the 2010 Home Expo. Also manning the Vemma nutrition booth were Jeannine Guiter of Ottumwa and Sue Bell of Fairfield.
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Mark Newman/The Courier Aloma Lynch of Oskaloosa and her great granddaugher, Emma Jo Schmidt, 3, of Ankeny, pick out a balloon Friday at the 2010 Home Expo. The show continues through Sunday at Bridge View Center.
Something for everyone at Expo
Event continues through Sunday at Bridge View
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