BEMIDJI — The Bemidji Jaycees’ 44th Annual Home Sport and Travel Show will be coming into town next week, bringing businesses and vendors together for two days of family-friendly fun.
Starting Friday, March 31, the event runs through Saturday, April 1, and will see local businesses and community organizations take over the Sanford Center for the yearly affair.
“I’m just really excited,” said Eva Fisher, a Bemidji Jaycee and organizer of the event. “We had a great response from businesses and organizations. The variety we have this year is incredible.”
The annual show provides an opportunity for local businesses of all sizes to interact with community members and build relationships with the public. Because of the variety of businesses at this year’s show, Fisher is confident that there will be something for everyone.
“If you want to buy a locally made item or if you want to look into buying a boat, you can,” Fisher said. “If you want to talk to someone about financing a home, we have both banks and realtors. There will be something that applies to almost every person who walks through that door.”
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Alongside the increased variety, this year’s show will be different for another reason. Unlike previous years where the event stretched over three days, this year will just take place over two.
The reasoning behind this decision wasn’t a lack of success for the event, but instead an effort to make it easier for local and smaller businesses to participate.
“The pandemic showed some areas where we could improve on our show and assist our businesses,” Fisher said. “It’s increasingly hard to find staff. It was just kind of a decision and an effort to help our vendors.”
This isn’t the first time the Home, Sport and Travel Show has seen changes, and Fisher explained that the organizing team is always looking at ways to improve.
“We’re always thinking about what we can do to improve the show,” Fisher said. “What can we do to make this better for the businesses that participate and the community members that come to the event?”
The funds raised by the Jaycees from the event will go toward sustaining the organization and funding its other activities throughout the year, like the Water Carnival and the Brrrmidji Plunge.
“It helps to support us throughout the year so that we can continue to serve our mission and our purpose,” Fisher explained. “We use the funds to operate our organization and it goes to other projects we run throughout the community.”
As always, the event will feature door prizes and other activities, including a planting activity for children that will be held on Saturday.
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The hours for the event, located at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 31, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 1.
Adult admission will be $5, and children 12 and under can enter for free.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Fisher said. “I just really encourage people to come and see what it’s all about.”
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