Mar 29, 2018 4 min read

John Lunt is no stranger to the Mon Valley Home Show.

Lunt, co-owner of Equipment Connections and Party Rental Co., has attended the event as a vendor in the past.

In 2016, however, he suddenly found himself planning the home show after he purchased Event Services, the company that had organized the home show for the prior 25 years.

“Being on both sides of the coin has helped,” Lunt says. “We’ve done party events for 20 years – graduations, weddings, groundbreaking ceremonies – but never a home show. Last year was a learning experience, and I think it will be a learning experience for the next several years.”

Under the guidance of the late Leo “Buddy” Rach, the Mon Valley Home Show became a popular annual event (and a sure sign that spring was approaching) that offered products and services for the home and garden.

Lunt and his wife, Kathryn, felt an obligation to continue to produce a top-notch home show. “That was (Rach’s) life. His world revolved around the Mon Valley Home Show,” says Kathryn Lunt.

Lunt says the home show at Rostraver Ice Garden “offers something for everybody.”

“Whether you’re looking to sample a glass of wine or indulge in a piece of fudge, or whether you need windows for your home, or a roof, siding, sidewalks, a retaining wall, or carpeting, or whether you’re looking to plan a vacation, you’ll find something that appeals to you,” Lunt says.

The Lunts, along with co-owner Larry Parsons, begin planning for the home show in October, sending out applications to regular vendors and contacting potential new vendors.

One of the challenges, Lunt says, is accounting for vendors’ needs, both in regard to space and access to necessary equipment. For example, two hot tub vendors have rented booths for the 2018 home show.

“Last year, we had no hot tub vendors. For a hot tub display, you need water and 220 electric, so you have to know what booths you can put the hot tub vendors in,” Lunt says. “And you can’t set up for the home show and then bring in eight- or 10-person hot tubs, so you need to get the hot tubs in place and build the home show around those booths.”

Set-up and tear-down both take about three days.

In 2017, about 11,000 people attended the show, and Lunt hopes attendance continues to grow. A popular addition last year were nonprofit tables, including a pet shelter that held a fundraiser. Lunt says more space has been dedicated to nonprofits for the 2018 home show.

For food options, attendees can visit Murph’s Pub Restaurant & Lounge on the second floor of the Ice Garden, or the food court area, which offers items including hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, chicken tenders, french fries, candy, snacks and ice cream.

While the event has been called the Mon Valley Home Show for more than a quarter century, it has been in existence for 77 years. For 50 years, it was called the Farm and Family Show, Lunt says. Culligan Water has participated in all 77 home shows.

Lunt says he also feels a sense of responsibility to Mon Valley residents to put on a quality home show.

“The Mon Valley has been good to us. Without our customers, we’re not a business,” Lunt says. “We owe it to the community, and I would hope the community wouldn’t forget about the home show. That’s the biggest issue I see – our society has forgotten the people who built our community. Too often, to save a nickel, they pass up the mom-and-pop stores. They don’t patronize the small stores left in our communities and towns. We really try to not forget about the little guy, because that’s who built our community.”

More than 160 booths covering more than 105,000 square feet of exhibit space will fill the Rostraver Ice Garden for three days, April 6-8. For more information, visit monvalleyhomeshow.com.