Home & Garden Show Opens Friday at State Fair Park

While we’re still waiting for warmer weather to arrive, the REALTORS’ Home & Garden Show delivers an early taste of spring. Soak in the sights, sounds and smells of lush greenery, rushing water and fragrant flowers. The show opens at State Fair Park on Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m. and runs through Sunday, March 24 (closed March 18 & 19).

This year, there are 12 featured gardens from the area's top landscape designers, plus 2 new specialty spaces. The gardens showcase the best of outdoor living with cozy fire pits, relaxing dining rooms, built-in stainless steel grills, pizza ovens, soothing water features, beautiful greenery and so much more!

One of the new additions to the show is a 16-piece sculpture garden by noted metal artist Bruce Niemi. In addition, a Sustainable Solutions Area demonstrates that sustainable design can be practical and beautiful. The display includes a water reclamation system, green roof, permeable pavers and reclaimed and sustainable materials. Be sure to check out the gabion rock walls and the artwork that’s made of recycled plastic bags.

The Home & Garden Show is also the place to spice up your kitchen. Throughout the show, Milwaukee’s top chefs share their recipes and secrets for success at the Cooking Patio. Each demonstration includes tasty samples. Jarvis Williams from Carnevor Steakhouse, Justin Carlisle from Umami Moto and Jan Kelly from Meritage are just a few of the culinary talents who will take the stage.

On March 23 and 24, Carmen De La Paz, an HGTV celeb and Waukesha native, is doing double-duty at the Cooking Patio and Solutions Stage. For anyone planning a party, she has quick and easy recipes that are showstoppers. Plus, she’ll deliver formulas to calculate food and drink quantities. De La Paz also has ways to make painting foolproof and deliver big impact. Finally, she’ll cover safety tips for DIY projects and run through the basics of power tools that are used most often in the home.

For art lovers, the lobby space at the Home & Garden Show teems with antiques, collectibles and artwork that’s available for bid during the Channel 10 Great TV Auction. Approximately 1,500 pieces are on display and open for pre-bids.

Regular admission to the Home & Garden Show is $8 for adults and free for active military personnel (with ID) and children 12 and under. Beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21, free parking at State Fair Park is available to the first 500 visitors each day, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The 2013 REALTORS’ Home & Garden Show is presented by Unilock. For more information, visit www.mkehgs.com.