Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show postponed again, Duquesne Light not a sponsor

The 2021 Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show has been rescheduled a second time, to October.

And for the first time in 20 years, title sponsor Duquesne Light will not be a part of the show.

“We are taking a pause,” said Hollie Geitner, a Duquesne Light spokeswoman. “It just doesn’t feel right for us at this time. We are a critical infrastructure company and it would be very concerning to be at an indoor event. We want to make sure we keep the lights on for our customers.”

Geitner said they usually have 100 volunteers at the event.

She said they respect the decision to adjust this year’s event, as well as future shows, to better accommodate the safety and interests of attendees. She said they will revisit sponsorship next year.

“It’s a big commitment from our standpoint,” she said. “So much is still unknown.”

The show had already been pushed back a month to April.

The reason for the latest postponement comes from the state’s current occupancy restrictions for large indoor gatherings, said John DeSantis, executive director of the show. Exact dates in October have not been determined.

The show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center hosts hundreds of thousands of people over 10 days with more than 1,900 exhibits filling 10 acres.

“We want the home and garden show to feel like the home and garden show,” said DeSantis. “And we want people to feel comfortable attending the show. We will get through this. We hope to get back to some form of normalcy by October.”

DeSantis said he was concerned, with the current restrictions, they would not be able to properly social distance and have everyone feel comfortable.

DeSantis said exhibitors, sponsors, the convention center as well as show visitors are supporting this move. He wants the October show to remain, in years to come, and host two a year — fall and spring.

“There are many repairs and home improvements that are more suitable to being done in the fall,” DeSantis said. “It is also good for our exhibitors who can have two shows a year.”

The show’s 40th anniversary celebration is expected in March 2022, DeSantis said.

The 2020 show opened March 6, just as the pandemic was emerging, and was schedule to run through March 15. On March 12, Duquesne Light pulled its employees from the event to limit potential covid exposure. The next day, the show was canceled.