WRFA public affairs director Jason Sample talks with Edwin Rodriguez and Mary Maxwell from the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation and the Jamestown Up Close about the 2016 Grow Jamestown Garden Fair & Home Show, happening Saturday, April 2 at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission to the event and all workshops is free.
The vendor list and workshop schedule is now available for GROW Jamestown, presented by Mike’s Nursery. With more than 50 vendors and 15 workshops lined up by the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, the free community event offers fun for all ages.
“We have come a long way from our humble beginnings at the Renaissance Center in previous years,” said Edwin Rodriguez Jr., events and marketing associate for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. “We used to have 15-17 vendors. This is our fifth year and we have 54 total vendors. Our event is the only true garden and home show in the greater Jamestown area. No other event features home and garden education and hands-on activities the way we do.”
Vendors scheduled to attend include nurseries, contractors, landscape designers, craft vendors, food vendors, neighborhood clusters, and more.
Another key feature of the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair and Home Show is the educational workshops hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program of Chautauqua County and countless other area professionals. The knowledge and experience of the presenters helps make the event special. This year’s workshops, 15 in total, focus on gardening and home improvement. Workshop topics for 2016 are as follows:
“We have definitely taken our workshop topics to a new level from previous years,” said Mary Maxwell, neighborhood associate for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. “We had a lot of requests over the years. People wanted more information that pertained to the area in which we live. The Master Gardeners, event volunteers, and all of our other professionals involved have worked hard to make sure this year’s workshops are educational and fun.”
The GROW Jamestown Garden Fair and Home Show is presented by Mike’s Nursery. Owner Mike Krauth and his staff will be giving away free tomato seedlings to every show attendee while supplies last. Also, the first 1,000 people to the event will receive a free reusable grocery tote courtesy of Wegmans in Jamestown. The event is also graciously sponsored by Lakeshore Paving, Clark Patterson Lee Design Professionals, RSVP, Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program, The Resource Center, Rhoe B. Henderson Insurance Agency, Five Star Urgent Care, and Afloral.com.
For a complete list of vendors and a complete workshop schedule with times, visit the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair and Home Show online at www.growjamestown.com or check out the event’s Facebook page.
The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is a public-private partnership supporting downtown and neighborhood revitalization through stakeholder engagement, innovation, and reinvestment in the greater Jamestown, New York, area.
JAMESTOWN – An opportunity to learn more about more than a dozen different local attractions in the Jamestown area will take place Saturday, Jan. 16.
The 2016 Doors Open Jamestown event is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at varying locations across the city.
Doors Open Jamestown features free admission to greater Jamestown area attractions, raffle prizes at each location, restaurant specials, and more. The event is sponsored by Jamestown Up Close, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, and Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce with support from the participating attractions and merchants.
“Not everyone knows that the exhibits and features of our local attractions change quite regularly,” said Edwin Rodriguez Jr., events and marketing associate for Jamestown Up Close. “This event is for our area residents to get out and about with their friends and family to learn about some of the great features we have to offer here,” said Rodriguez.
Sixteen local attractions and nearly two dozen restaurants and retail stores partner together for this annual event to celebrate the region.

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute on Curtis St. in Jamestown is one of several organizations offering free admission on Sat., Jan. 16 as part of Doors Open Jamestown.
By visiting one or more of the participating attractions, guests have the opportunity to win gift baskets at each location. Those locations include:
“It’s great to see so many local residents learn something new about their hometown,” said Joni Blackman, executive director for the Fenton Historical Society. “This has turned into a festive day for Jamestown and the greater region. I have yet to hear a complaint, even when the weather is stormy,” said Blackman.
Area attractions aren’t the only ones who participate in Doors Open Jamestown. The event also encourages various restaurants, bars, and retail shops to work together to co-promote one another now and in the future.
“Doors Open Jamestown is a day to celebrate the wonderful amenities our community has here all year long,” said Frank Besse, co-owner of Brazil Craft Beer and Wine Lounge. “I think Brazil complements these amenities well with our unique selection of great beer and wine in a relaxing and characterful setting,” said Besse.
Participating restaurants and retail locations are encouraged to offer unique menu items and special pricing for the day.
For more information on Doors Open Jamestown or for a list of participating venues, restaurants, and stores, please visit www.DoorsOpenJamestown.com or call check out the event’s Facebook page.
The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation and Jamestown Up Close are organizations that support downtown and neighborhood revitalization in Jamestown, NY, by promoting reinvestment, stakeholder engagement, and innovation.