Minneapolis Home + Garden Show, The ‘State Fair’ of the Winter

A vibrant marketplace filled with over 600 booths, seven feature gardens, a Fresh Ideas Stage filled with presentations from local experts and the Green Thumb Theater — the Minneapolis Home + Garden Show is an immersive experience.

The show, a five-day event, is set to run March 5-9 at the Minneapolis Convention Center and offers inspiration for future home projects, connections with experts in the industry and educational presentations from professionals.

Show manager Bruce Evans started working with the Home + Garden Show back in 2006 and has been able to see the event evolve over the years, with this year being its 91st birthday as one of the largest home and garden shows in the country.

One thing has always remained — the feature gardens, partnering with master landscapers from Stone Wall Inc., Holm and Olson Landscape Design & Construction, OFLORA gardens, Tracer Pool and Landscape, Sculptured Earth, Mickman Brothers and Arvold Landscaping & Design.

“It’s a big task and a big investment, but we know that the consumers love our feature gardens”, Evans says. “You know, this year we even have a full-size pool in one of them, and it really offers the first sign of spring.”

Evans says that over the years, when it comes to exhibitor quality, it has only increased in terms of booth quality and customer experience. He is expecting to see over 50,000 people attend this year, with Friday and Saturday predicted to be the busiest.

“A lot of exhibitors do this as their only marketing initiative for the year because they meet so many people and get so many sales and leads through it,” Evans says. “For me personally, it’s about seeing the exhibitors meet with consumers, seeing the consumers enjoying the day out and getting the expert advice they need.”

Though Wednesday, March 5, typically produces the lowest attendance, promotional deals, such as free admission for seniors and events — namely the pet fashion show — are just the start of what the weekdays have to offer.

According to Evans, the LGBTQ+ community is represented among the show’s attendees, with the show staff excited to host one of Lavender’s First Thursdays on March 6.

What to Expect: Home and Garden ‘25
According to Evans, this year the Green Thumb Theater, sponsored by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, will have stage sessions on wool mulching, seeds, climate-resilient gardening, planting for pollinators and more.

The show will also have hands-on plant workshops that attendees can pre-register for. This year includes making a succulent plant to then take home, according to Evans.

Evans says the show has everything from realtors for potential homeowners and financial advisors for planning to windows, roofing, doors and gifts.

Even a portion of the walls of the convention center are filled with greenery, with The Living Wall featuring a wide variety of over 1,000 houseplants on display, accompanied by helpful advice on what plant is right for your home and living style.

Venturing into the backyard lounge, attendees can see innovations in decking while meeting with experts and enjoying beverages and yard games.

This year, celebrity guests will include Michel Smith Boyd of HGTV’s “Rock the Block 4” and “Luxe for Less” on Friday and Saturday, as well as Chelsea and Cole DeBoer from the HGTV series “Down Home Fab” on Saturday and Sunday at the Fresh Ideas Stage.

Even if your home isn’t already filled with decor, the Art Walk gives blank spaces the opportunity to be filled with pieces from local artists. Featured this year are painter and user experience designer Sander Kolodziej, painter Thaddeus L’Heureux, and fine artist and illustrator Barret Lee.

For attendees who have a furry friend at home, the Pet Zone provides a shopping spree for products and services along with featured dog houses.

Three food trucks will also be headlining when you get hungry from all the show has to offer: Foodtastic, Rollin Nolen’s BBQ and Pizza Karma, the newest edition to the lineup.

“You don’t know what you need for your home until you come to the Home and Garden Show,” Evans says.

Minneapolis Home + Garden Show
March 5-9, 2025
Minneapolis Convention Center 
1301 2nd Ave. S., Minneapolis
www.homeandgardenshow.com