By Chelsea McNerney-Martinez
MONTE VISTA—The Spring Fever Home and Garden Show, hosted by the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce, was a popular event at Ski-Hi this past weekend, with about 30 different vendors displaying a wide array of products. About 500 people visited on Saturday, and approximately 300 on Sunday, to see the best that the San Luis Valley has to offer in home and yard renovation, décor, interior decorating, technology, furniture, plants, seeds, gardening techniques and even in the case of Worth-the-Drive Family Bakery and Chef Charles, baked goods and BBQ.
Garden and outdoor vendors included Alamosa Garden Supply, North River Greenhouse, Catlin’s Greenhouse, RMMP, Easy Soils LLC, Rox Unique and Liberty Greenhouses. Home renovation and interior decorating vendors included Right Carpet and Interiors, A&M Windows and Doors, A&M Construction, G&J Rustic Décor, Nature’s Elegance Beeswax Creations, Accent Western Windows, Yoder Custom Woodworking and Furniture and Sherwin Williams. Equipment vendors included J&J Rental, County Line Engine Repair and Southern Colorado Computer Services.  Other services included were Peak to Peak Inspections, Trenholm Chiropractic, Colorado State University, GMX Irrigation, LuLaRoe, Air ‘Em Up Tire and Lube, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Steffens & Co. Realty.
Two pickleball courts were set up on the east end of Ski-Hi, which stayed occupied with rotating teams of players enjoying the court and taking some time away from shopping. The chamber hosted drawings for $25 gift certificates to local businesses periodically throughout the event, with three given away on Saturday and three on Sunday. Some vendors also had drawings, including Sherwin Williams, who held a drawing for a ladder; Catlin’s Greenhouse offered a drawing for a $30 gift certificate, and RMMP had a putting competition for entries into their drawing. Informational booths were also available for people to learn about how to make a positive impact in their community. Kay Harmon hosted a booth to teach children the importance of handwashing, which included soap and a black light to show how many germs are missed without using proper handwashing techniques. There was an informational booth about the dangers of Hantavirus and how to avoid contracting it as well.
VEGI also had a booth gathering volunteers for the Monte Vista Community Garden. The local community gardens programs in the San Luis Valley produced 1,200 pounds of produce last year and involved 316 volunteers who put in over 1,277 combined hours to provide fresh produce for people in need. Chamber member and volunteer for multiple organizations Jim Poston has been organizing the local efforts for a community garden and has received a donation of space in a farmer’s field. Other locations within the town of Monte Vista that are kid-friendly and easily accessible would still be appreciated, as are volunteers willing to learn about and help with the community garden. Please contact Poston at [email protected] .
“This was a great event and I’m glad that the chamber was able to put this together during the springtime this year,” said Shelly Taylor, Monte Vista Chamber director. “The vendors all had positive things to say and I’m glad we were able to put on this exhibition of local businesses and bring them more sales. It was a great booster for the Chamber, for Monte Vista and for the San Luis Valley for people to see just how many resources they have for their homes, yards, gardens and farms!”