The late John DeSantis “never met a stranger.”

Those are words from Jenn Tompkins, co-owner of Rent The Chicken in South Buffalo Township.

Her company will be one of the more than 1,500 exhibitors for the 40th annual Duquesne Light Co. Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show, which DeSantis founded. He died on Jan. 1.

Held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, the show opens March 4 and runs through March 13.

“His welcoming personality came through in everything he did for the growth and promotion of the show,” Tompkins, known as “Homestead Jenn,” said. “He knew everybody’s name and made you feel like you were a big part of the show.”

Louis B. Ruediger | Tribune-Review Phil Tompkins of Rent The Chicken transports hens to a client in South Buffalo Township on Aug. 1, 2018. Rent The Chickens will be one of the exhibitors during both weekends — March 5-6 and March 12-13 at the Duquesne Light Co. Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show in Downtown Pittsburgh.  

Rent The Chicken offers a full service: People rent the chickens that lay eggs, a portable coop and necessary supplies. Its booth will be located in the Farm to Table area both weekends for the 10-day show. Baby chicks will be hatched during the second weekend of the show

“The show draws such good crowds, and is so organized, because of the work John put into it,” Tompkins said. “We will really miss him.”

DeSantis’ son, Mark Moore, is following in his footsteps as executive director.

“I am at my dad’s house every day, and I have a picture of him that I talk to,” Moore said. “I feel his presence. The show will be emotional. It’s a twin-edged sword.”

Moore’s wife, Kimberly, and their oldest son, Shane, are involved in the show. The couple’s youngest son, Riley, is in high school.

“It is not lost on me that the show is celebrating 40 years,” Mark Moore said. “It’s a way to honor my dad. He loved bringing the home show to Pittsburgh. A lot of events don’t last 40 years.”

Moore said the show, which spans more than 10 acres in the convention center, connects exhibitors and attendees — who come from Western Pennsylvania, other areas of the commonwealth and out of state.

Courtesy of Adam Elias A landscape design by Cedar Creek Design in Hempfield. The company will be one of more than 1,500 exhibitors at the Duquesne Light Co. Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show March 4-13 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.  

Adam Elias and Andrew Costello co-own Cedar Creek Design Inc. in Hempfield, a landscape company. Their business grew with more people creating new and refreshing current outdoor spaces during the pandemic.

This will be their seventh year exhibiting.

“It is a really good form of marketing to meet face-to-face with potential customers,” Elias said. “They also get to see some of our work and talk to us about what their vision is for their outdoor space.”

Elias said DeSantis was very hands-on. He was always the first person Elias would see when they pulled into the convention center.

“He made sure our space was just the way we wanted it,” Elias said.

Courtesy of Jack Iacoboni Jr. Expert Glass Co. in Export can install frameless shower doors. The company will be one of more than 1,500 exhibitors at the Duquesne Light Co. Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show March 4-13 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.  

Brothers Steve Iacoboni and Jack Iacoboni Jr. of Expert Glass Co. in Export, which their father Jack Iacoboni Sr. founded in 1976, replace fogged or broken glass, repair windows, provide frameless shower doors, glass storefronts and entrance doors.

“We come to your home and do all the work at your house,” Jack Iacoboni said. “The home show is the perfect way to start off the season. It’s such a great networking show. And it’s always so well attended.”

There will be products from Amish exhibitors. The Pittsburgh Bonsai Society will showcase miniature trees and do demonstrations. Gardening expert Doug Oster will present programming. There will be live entertainment. Attendees can explore outdoor spaces in the Garden Pavilion.

The Construction & Remodeling Center features experts in that area.

Furniture, lighting, art, accessories and floor, wall and window covering options will be at the Home Interior Galleries.

The Kitchen and Cooking Collection showcases everything from cabinets to countertops and cookware.

The Biergarten has new brews, snacks and the show’s Roof Top Hops IPA — brewed from hops grown on the convention center roof.

The eatery has been renamed John’s River View Café in memory of DeSantis. A Children’s Village includes toy trains, reflecting his passion for model trains.

Title sponsor Duquesne Light will host Electric Lane showcasing energy-saving ideas, home safety tips and information on how to reduce energy bills.

The Home & Garden show was canceled partway through its March 2020 run, as pandemic restrictions set in, and was not held last year.

“Every year, people are looking forward to visiting, but this year is different because people have created lists of ways to improve their homes because they’ve spent so much time there,” said Moore, who is president of Home & Garden Show Executives International. “The superiority of goods and experience of the experts exhibiting for 39 years will continue at our 40th anniversary show.”

Courtesy of Robert Vertes Vangura Surfacing Products in North Huntingdon provides a wide amount of countertops for every budget. The company is one of more than 1,500 exhibitors to debut at the Duquesne Light Co. Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show March 4-13 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown, Pittsburgh.  

For more than 30 of those years, Vangura Surfacing Products in North Huntingdon was there. The company, which is celebrating 50 years in business, provides a variety of countertops, including its newest laminate product.

On move-in day Tuesday, Robert Vertes, vice president of sales and marketing for Vangura Surfacing Products, spent a few minutes talking with Moore about his dad.

“We had a moment,” Vertes said. “John DeSantis knew you by name. He took care of the exhibitors. The show has always been so well choreographed. He taught his son well. This show is not going to miss a beat.”

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