Every year people cherish the thought of chasing away the cold and gray with the arrival of spring, and what better way to get those juices flowing than by bringing loads of spring-related vendors and ideas together under one roof?
The annual Amish Country Spring Home and Garden Market took place at the Mt. Hope Event Center Feb. 27 through March 1, and a packed house each day proved spring’s arrival means a lot to a lot of people.
Dustin Sasser, owner of Ironwood Tools, has been attending this show for four years but has been traveling to shows much larger than this one for years.
He said despite it not being the largest, it is among his favorite shows for one reason: the people.
“I love the homey feel of this show, for sure,” Sasser said. “It’s filled with good people who treat you first-class, and we love this community.”
Sasser said one comparison of this show compared to others is how accommodating everyone is here.
He said he received a UPS shipment, and the UPS delivery man came to his booth, notified him he had the delivery and brought it directly to him, no questions asked.
At another recent show, he had a similar situation and was charged $700 to take a pallet off the truck, and it was placed outside the facility, not at his booth.
“It’s much more personal in every way here,” Sasser said. “I like that we see the same people year after year and we built relationships.”
In addition, he said show promoter Jody Witzky provided them with food vouchers to go eat at Mrs. Yoder’s dining area at the show, an additional perk he said won’t be found at other shows.
“Jody came over and said, ‘Hey, have a meal on us,’” Sasser said. “Little things like that you won’t find at other events, and that’s what keeps people wanting to come back to this show year after year.”
Numerous vendors talked about how accommodating both Witzky and the leadership team at Mt. Hope Event Center were in going above and beyond.
Witzky said when the vendors are happy, it is only going to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone attending the show, and he also said bringing in high-quality vendors who only present top-quality wares and services makes the show more enjoyable.
From large outdoor equipment vendors to those selling knives, mulch, camping equipment, landscaping plants, decoratives, furniture, coffee and everything related to spring, it seemed to provide a quality experience for visitors.
Patrick Mulherin and his wife from Mansfield were first-time visitors to the show.
He said visiting with vendors and exploring the many facets of the show was interesting, but as a self-proclaimed people person, he enjoyed watching and meeting many new faces.
They had a blast chatting with several other couples who were mesmerized by the sales pitch for hummingbird feeders at the KSCanuck station.
“We came over to see what it was all about,” Mulherin said. “We knew there would be a lot of Amish wares, and there is a lot of high-quality stuff here.”
He said they visit Holmes County once or twice a year, but he said this show has enticed them to make a return visit a must on the annual calendar.
While some vendors travel great distances to attend the show, others didn’t have to go far, but that didn’t mean this show wasn’t just as important to them.
Daniel Troyer of Holmes Power Equipment only had to bring their equipment 2 miles to attend the show, but he said this weekend serves as an important one to them and to all of the vendors who are investing in ushering in the spring season for attendees.
“Just the exposure you get here in connecting with all of these great people is worth it,” Troyer said. “It’s always a great crowd, a great atmosphere, and we always get to connect with old, familiar faces and meet a lot of new people, and that’s always part of the fun.”
Troyer said even though they are in their own booth much of the time, getting a chance to explore all the other vendor products and offerings also is a fun part of what he called a hectic yet relaxing weekend.
Like many others, he said the people and the atmosphere combined with the sense of an approaching spring season is enjoyable for both vendors and visitors alike.
