Arizona State Home Show 2008

The Arizona State Home Show took place in January 2008 on a beautiful weekend in Tucson, Arizona. The show was held in the Tucson Community Center just south of downtown Tucson

The Arizona State Home Show filled most of the lower level of the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) and a portion of the upper area as well.

Some of the displays were quite large and they had plenty of room inside the Tucson Convention Center

There were places to sit and rest if needed/ At the east end of the lower area were seats for the celebrity appearances

Most of the upper level was art object and decorated home accents. Some really unique and interesting things filled these booths.

There was a lot to look at upstairs, and this was only about 1/4 of the whole show

Solar and water savings were the topic of some of the companies attending the AZ Home Show

Non profits like the Arizona Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics had booths set up as well as local companies that are attempting to save energy and resources.

Demos for products of all types were happening for onlookers.

Many products offered samples so curious could inspect them hands on. This is a good opportunity to see the things you might need to travel to a few stores all over town to inspect like this normally

Behind the scenes look at some products is always interesting.New products (or at least new if you haven't seen them before) are available at the 2008 AZ State Home Show

A few vendors offered options to organize the garage or workshop. Some interesting and efficient products for sure

Many air conditioning vendors were on hand, but one stood out for it's friendly service and low pressure sales pitch. (OK they are a client of ours so we might be a little biased).

I really did learn a lot about AC as we talked and one of our editors thinks he just might go that route this year. There are some interesting options for setting up zones in your home so that you only cool the rooms you use most to save money and equipment use. We also discussed how important preventative maintenance is in keeping an AC working well and eliminating the unexpected emergency repairs in the peak of the season

One of the more fun and interesting displays at the AZ State Home Show was this elaborate train set up.

This was a very detailed and fairly large scale with a very large set up. The kids seemed to really like it along with quite a few of the older folks

Outside were some of the larger and heavier items. Outdoor benches and cast stone artwork. There were some clever items in this collection

Some of the fun things at the show included a spiderman jumping castle for the kids and personal hammocks for the older folks. I think a few people had a hard time getting moving again after a test ride in these hanging chairs

Water products like pools and spas were popular as were safety devices for these large bodies of water

This interesting chair was a hit with the youngest member of our group

Some of the art and sculpture was for looks, some for use. Most everything has a southwestern style, but not everything

Some of the many food opportunities at the 2008 AZ State Home Show were the various food booths throughout the show and the main food attractions were located at the south end of the lower exhibit hall, and tables for dining were set up outside so visitors could enjoy the very warm January day in Tucson (no kidding it was a nice day, didn't really even need a coat)

On our way back to the car we stopped to buy a bag of Sweet German Glazed Popcorn. This is real good stuff that is both sweet and salty but not too much of either.

It's popped in such a way that there are few hard kernels.. Very good popcorn and the bag lasted most of the way home

Parking was not the best part of the visit. We went Friday morning in an attempt to beat the crowds, but a lot of other people must have thought the same thing and the place was packed. The main lots were full so we parked near by (kind of) and walked to the entrance. Parking in the nearby neighborhood is not permitted so watch for temporary signs that might be in place where you haven't seen them before (or where you might normally park for a TCC event)

The Tucson Convention Center is huge, so be prepared to walk a lot there are elevators and escalators for the trip up and down to the lower floor, but there is still a lot of walking at any large show like this so be prepared

Some of the interesting artwork at the Tucson Convention Center includes large murals and this hanging oriental dragon

A history of African Americans in Arizona covers a large area at the west end of the Tucson Convention Center near a mineral display of a large Quartz Crystal

This large quartz cluster weighs 900 pounds and is quite impressive. It's only about as large as a beach ball