Crowd flocks to first night of Mon Valley Home Show

The event will continue today and tomorrow with a wide variety of businesses on hand.

The Mon Valley Home Show had its 34th annual opening on Friday, showcasing many businesses for local residents to explore.

From home remodeling to local pizza shops, visitors can find anything at the home show, especially if they are looking to spruce up their residence. John Lunt, president of Equipment Connection, which manages the home show, encourages everyone to come out during the weekend.

“Spread the word, talk to your neighbors, make sure they understand the importance of participating at the show,” Lunt said. “Whether they are somebody just looking for something, or whether they are a contractor or a business person.”

The home show will continue throughout the weekend at cfsbank Event Center in Rostraver Township. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The entry fee is $5 for adults, and free for those 12 and under.

More than 100 vendors are present this year, and some of them have been part of the home show for a long time. Arthur Trilli, co-owner of Culligan Water System in Star Junction, said the business has been coming to the event since its creation.

“We provide quality water, whether it be bottled water, soft water, reverse osmosis drinking water, and you get very few opportunities to be face to face with the public, and this forum gives us that opportunity,” Trilli said. “And so some people would be walking by and they never thought about it, but they’ll see our bottled water, they’ll stop to have a drink, and they’ll say, ‘Boy, that’s good. What’s that cost?’And it just starts the process of talking to them about having better water for their homes or their businesses.”

Even if visitors aren’t looking for home renovation businesses, they can still find something to use in their kitchen. One of the vendors, Galiffa’s Pizza, based in Donora, offers a wide range of pizzas to make at home.

“It gives us a chance to see people that we don’t see all the time,” company owner Barry Galiffa said. “It gives us a chance to pass our literature out for fundraisers, for them to go to our computer site.”

Galiffa’s also helps organizations in the Mon Valley by providing some of their products to sell and raise funds.

Lynn Grimes, who’s representing Aunt Carol’s Gourmet Dips, said people have until Sunday to come and check them out. Aunt Carol’s provides a wide range of dip options such as shrimp dip, bacon cheeseburger and some fruity flavors like Dreamsicle that could be used as a bagel spread or fruit dip.

“Start thinking spring and getting outside and cooking, grilling — our stuff’s great for that,” Grimes. “The sweet ones that we have are great for, like fruit dips. And our savory ones. You can add them to your ground meat for your burgers.”

For those seeking something fun to decorate their home or children’s bedrooms, Dianne Reganick, owner of Dianne’s Lamps and Gifts, is showcasing a wide range of colorful lamps. From firetruck lamps to those featuring famous Disney characters, Reganick had a lot to offer.

Reganick said it’s her first year at the home show and it’s going well. She added that visitors can expect her there all weekend.

“I do the Westmoreland Fairgrounds Labor Day Show, and I do Washington Fairgrounds,” Reganick said. “I live in Duquesne, but I go all over the place to sell and set up.”

Debbie and Jim Bruno of Rostraver Township made their first-ever visit to the home show on Friday and said they found what they needed.

“We actually have somebody coming to our house next week that’s here, so we wanted to check them out,” Debbie Bruno said.

To learn more about the Mon Valley Home Show, visit its website at http:// www.monvalleyhomeshow.com/home-1.html.