Now in its 62nd year, the New England Home Show is the area's longest-running event of its kind and has become known as much for its family-friendly entertainment as for its plethora of home-improvement tools. This year's show took place at the Seaport World Trade Center from Thursday through Sunday, offering everything from an artisan craft pavilion and cooking demos to a kids' entertainment stage and a new holistic healing area.
"We change up our features every couple of years, always looking for new and interesting ways to wow the public," said show director Rich Castiglione. "No show has ever been the same, and we intend to keep attendees on their toes." Having activities and attractions to complement the show's 500-some booths "makes people entertained for a longer period of time, and it offers more value to our attendees," Castiglione said. "Both the kid-friendly zone and the chefs' demos make the show more family-oriented, as a home should feel."
The holistic healing area, where guests could consult with local spirit medium Maureen Hancock, was years in the making. According to Castiglione, "We've been thinking about [introducing the area] for a couple of years now, and after attending one of Maureen's readings it seemed like the perfect fit." The initiative was also intended to draw a greater cross section of guests.
"With baby boomers coming into their own, health and wellness is a key part of the future," Castiglione said. "We hoped that the holistic area would interest a greater variety of the public and attract them to check out the … show." This year's event drew around 29,000 guests, on a par with last year's attendance.
Other additions included seminars conducted by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, as well as new exhibitors. "A focus of ours is to diversify our product category each year and add new elements like the solar companies we have in this year," Castiglione said before the event. "It seems to be coming along strong, and more people are looking into solar companies as a new method of home improvement."
