Having been put back from its usual May time slot due to unavoidable circumstances, the 7th Home and Garden Expo (HGE) in support of Relay for Life of Second Life and the American Cancer Society, opened its doors to the public on Tuesday September 16th, and promises to be another hugely popular event.

Running through until Sunday September 28th, 2014, HGE comprises nine regions adjacent to the American Cancer Society region, and offers some of the finest in home, garden, and furnishing designs available across the grid. With around 90 exhibitors taking part, the event offers something for anyone who is looking for a new home, ideas for furnishing and decor, wishing to improve their building (or other) skills, or who just wishes to keep abreast of the latest building / home trends in Second Life.

As well as providing the opportunity to discover the best in housing designs ans itself, there will be a wide range of events going on through the two weeks of HGE, including talks, classes, hunts and more taking place around the Expo spaces, as well as a special gacha, a raffle, the silent auction … detail of which will all be made available through the HGE website’s programme pages.

The theme for this year’s event is Story Time, and many of the exhibit areas reflect this, often in quite imaginative ways, so it’s worth taking your time when exploring, as there are some gems of exhibit pieces to be found.

Communities and groups have also had the opportunity to represent themselves at the Expo by means of info boards which have been available for lease throughout the Expo regions. Roleplay groups, bloggers, music venues, galleries, and so on, have been able to advertise themselves through these boards and extend their reach, with all proceeds from the leasing of the boards going directly to RFL of SL.

Visitors to the Expo areas can also participate in Letters From Expo. The HGE blog describes this as:

Working to give the folks battling this deadly disease reason to hope. To give their caregivers and loved ones hope and encouragement. Because the battle is lonely, and so is the caregiving. Both can leave a person with feelings of isolation and hopelessness.

This year, we want to spread the hope as far and as wide as we can. We want to show our love, offer our courage, give our thanks, and remember those who are no longer with us in a new and immediate way. Moreover, in a way that can be seen across the globe, even by non-SLers.

To this end, visitors are invited to write a letter of hope to cancer sufferers and caregivers on one of five subjects (Love, Hope, Thanks, Courage. Remembrance), and for a suggested donation of L$50, post them in the corresponding mailbox at the Expo’s Post Office, where they will be sorted and later appear on the HGE blog. Visitors may of course submit letters on more than one of the themes, but all letters should meet the requirements set-out in the Letters From Expo page linked-to above.

With some L$415,000 raised during the core RFL of SL season, the Home and Garden Expo offers an opportunity to further build on this year’s total for RFL, while offering SL users a lot to see and do. Be sure, as well, not to miss the event interviews featured on the HGE website.

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