PHOTO BY FRANCESCA FELLO

You will have to wait a bit longer for the 40th annual Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show.

The show, which in the past included more than 1,800 exhibits and attracted 350,000 people over 10 days, had been scheduled to run April 9-18. ON Monday, Executive Director John DeSantis announced the show would be postponed until October.

“While we had hoped to open in some capacity this April, it is clear that more time is required to address the COVID-19 pandemic,” DeSantis says. “We are, of course, encouraged by the vaccine becoming widely available and by the rapid drop in cases. There has certainly been a turning point.  Like many, we expect that this summer will mark the gradual return to relative normal, but our first concern must always be the health and safety of our guests.”

The specific dates in October will be announced later this spring.

DeSantis also announced that beginning in 2022, the Home & Garden Show will be a twice-a-year event held in March and October.

“The most frequent ‘complaint’ about the Home & Garden Show has been that we only do it once a year,” says DeSantis. “Homeowners tell us that they have projects and questions that often just can’t wait, while the firms who bring their products and services to display and sell at the show would be delighted to see those customers twice as often.”

One more change involves the show’s title sponsor. For the first time in 20 years, Duquesne Light will not be part of the show.

“We are taking a pause,” Duquesne Light spokeswoman Hollie Geitner told the Trib. “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.”