YORKTOWN – Residents looking to tackle spring projects will have the chance to connect face-to-face with area professionals during the Capitol Carpet and Services March Into Spring: A Professional Showcase this Saturday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at “The Grove” at Saint Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Admission is free for attendees.
The showcase is designed to connect residents in York County and Williamsburg with local professionals across a variety of industries, from home improvement and real estate to travel and tax services.
Event organizer and Capital Carpet and Services owner, Butch Beckman, said the inspiration behind the showcase was “kind of threefold, really.”
“For one thing, I go to St. Louis United Methodist Church. I’ve been going there for years,” he said. “And The Grove, I call it the best-kept secret in York County. It’s a wonderful space that is very underutilized.”
He said one goal is to introduce more people to the venue, which he described as a significant investment for the church community.
“First, get people familiar with the Grove, because we put a big investment into it,” he said. “So it’d be nice to be able to have it show up to people so they can use it more and show up, have more opportunities to take advantage of it.”
The event is also intended to bring the community together while giving smaller, local businesses an affordable platform to promote their services.
“It was a great way to bring the community together,” he said. “It’s something a little bit outside the box. I’ve never really thought about doing something like this before. So I wanted to bring a bunch of local businesses and a bunch of the local neighbors together just to show about different industries that they might have a need for, like a handyman or a painter or a power washer or a pest control company.”
Rather than on-the-spot bookings, the showcase will emphasize relationship-building.
“It’s more informational, but if somebody wants to schedule a job, we’re going to give them the opportunity to be able to reach out to them after the event,” he said.
“We’re going to have raffle drawings,” he said. “And if they scan the QR code that we have available when they sign up to register, they’ll get extra raffle tickets so they have a better chance of winning.”
Attendees can come and go throughout the morning and early afternoon, but those interested in prizes may want to plan accordingly. Raffle drawings will be held at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Prizes include gift cards and dinners from local restaurants. Participating restaurants include Fat Tuna Grill and Food For Thought.
The event will also feature a surprise musical interlude.
“It’s kind of a surprise, but it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be different,” he said. “They volunteered to do it, so I’m not at liberty to really say what it is. You’re going to have to come and check it out.”
The showcase’s “spring forward into your goals” theme encourages residents to begin planning seasonal projects and improvements.
“It’s going to help people have a plan, help them organize their plan for whatever they want to get done this spring,” he said.
