This Saturday, the Vashon-Maury Island Chamber of Commerce will hold its fifth annual Home Fair at the high school from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“It’s designed to connect islanders with businesses that work in, on or around their homes,” chamber Director Jim Marsh said. “These are businesses that don’t often have a storefront. … They might just have a truck with a logo on it, and they thrive on the community for support.”
Most people tend to think of the chamber as representing the retail and other tourism-oriented businesses on the island, he said, but in reality, contractors of all kinds make up 17 percent of the chamber’s membership — whereas retail businesses comprise 15 percent.
“So it’s important that we showcase these businesses as well,” he said.
Joshua Barwick, owner/operator of Noble Stone Construction, agreed.
“I started as a vendor at the Home Fair its second year, and it’s been such a positive experience,” he said. “I always come away with one or two significant projects from connecting with people there, and I’m even getting calls a couple of years later from folks I met at the fair two or three years ago.”
Barwick also noted that being a regular vendor at the fair has deepened his experience in the community and “raised the bar” for the connections he’s making with other contractors.
“This is such a great way to network,” he said, “especially for contractors who can’t meet at what most would consider regular times.”
Both Marsh and Barwick commented on the fact that many island contractors are too busy to participate in the fair regularly because of all of the business they’ve been able to garner from the fair in the past.
Barwick credited Marsh with his coordination of and commitment to the event.
But the fair doesn’t just showcase the island’s traditional contractors, as Miriam Perez of Island Insurance Center can attest.
“We (Island Insurance Center) have participated every year since it started,” she said. “And it’s been really helpful. Not just for us as a business, but for the community as well.”
Perez explained that while insurance may not be the most popular table at the fair, being a vendor has always had a positive impact.
“If you can talk to people, it’s always good,” she said. “We have an insurance-themed game to play, we answer questions about coverage. … We have found that you tend to get out of it what you put in.”
Perez and Barwick are just two of the 20 to 30 vendors whom visitors should expect to find at the fair on Saturday. Marsh said that typically the fair sees about 200 visitors through the course of the day, and there will be deejayed music, Patty’s Tamales for sale, a bake sale and door prizes.
“And who knows?” he added. “You might just find someone to fix your roof.”
— Sarah Low
