Fort Myers' Fall Home & Garden Show this weekend

Fall in Florida — the temperature dips (to the low 90s), school buses take to the roads following a summer sabbatical and winter residents return to the Sunshine State. Another sure sign that autumn has arrived is the advent of Fort Myers' 10th annual Fall Home & Garden Show. Bigger and better than ever, the 2008 Fall Home & Garden Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27 and 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Harborside Convention Center (Downtown Fort Myers at the corner of Monroe Street and Edwards Drive). Admission to the show is $4 for adults; there is no charge for children under 18. Parking for this event is free.

In its 10th year, there's more to do and see than ever before.

Jim Parks, host of HGTV's "New Spaces," returns to present three seminars each day. At 11 a.m. he'll share tips to help show attendees learn how to update your kitchen; at 1 p.m. Parks will host a homeowner's Quiz-O-Rama, and at 3 p.m. he will focus on "Green Living 101."

Another Fort Myers show favorite, Jack Minish, returns on Sunday to appraise your family heirlooms or garage sale finds for just $5 per item. All proceeds are donated to Habitat for Humanity.

For those interested in gaining handson expertise from the pros, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse will offer a series of workshops to help you improve your home. Workshops begin at 11 a.m. and continue through 4 p.m. each day. In addition to these how-to sessions for adults, there will be two Kid's Corner Workshops (at noon and 2 p.m.) where children will have the opportunity to build a project of their own.

Also new this year are two sessions, offered by Master Gardener Donna Cressman. At noon on Saturday and Sunday, Cressman will talk about palms for Southwest Florida. At 2 p.m. she'll focus on "Florida Friendly Yards — Saving You Money and Effort."

With the new home market in a continued slump, the focus of the Home & Garden Show is the exhibit area, where more than 180 businesses will showcase the latest trends in home design, along with new products for the home. Home show participants will also register for thousands of dollars worth of prizes in hourly drawings as well as home makeover prizes totaling more than $30,000.

Last year, more than 15,000 people attended the two-day event, and even more are expected this fall.

For more information, contact Expo Marketing at (239) 466-6300. Ext. 10 or visit Expo Marketing online at: www. ExpoTradeShows.net