Stephen Fanuka, host of HGTV’s ‘Million Dollar Contractor,” will be the special guest at the 25th annual Jersey Shore Home Show at Brookdale Community College.
Sure, online shopping is here to stay (and it won’t be long before delivery drones are dropping our rush-ordered packages of interlocking patio stones upon our heads). But for those who still appreciate the sawdust smell of a big-store lumber department, the mind-boggling choices of paint swatches and the sport and science of the brick-and-mortar experience — there’s nothing quite like the strolling smorgasbord that is the annual Jersey Shore Home Show on the Lincroft campus of Brookdale Community College.
Returning for its 26th edition, the annual expo extravaganza commandeers the Collins Arena for a three-day stand that begins Friday afternoon, offering an array of product showcases and demos that include everything from spas to sponges, bath stalls to burglar alarms, flagpoles to floor coverings, stonework to solar panels, windows to water treatments, and every helpful/ healthful thing between.
The perfect spring-preview antidote to the seasonal sads, the weekend-long event offers up a chance for a wide swath of home improvement contractors, vendors and manufacturers to show off their goods and services to an audience that gets to leave the house, while still keeping home and hearth in mind each step of the way. At the center of the activity are a pair of special guest appearances by HGTV personality Stephen Fanuka. The Manhattan-based high-end renovator to the stars and host of Million Dollar Contractor will be holding three 45-minute workshops (with a meet and greet to follow), at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Whether you’re a diehard DIY’er or a domestic dilettante, you can get pleasantly lost in this midway of merch, checking out the latest super-absorbent shammy or water-repellent shingle. Take it here for a full rundown of exhibitors — and here to get your tickets online ($8 adults; free for age 17 and under). Hours for the 26th Jersey Shore Home Show are Friday (1 to 8 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), with free parking in BCC lots 6 and 7.