UPGRADE YOUR HOME, UPGRADE YOUR TIME TOGETHER
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Presented
by
The Daybreak Home and Outdoor Recreation Expo blends home improvement with hands-on family experiences
As spring settles in, there is a familiar urge many homeowners feel: the need to refresh, repair and reimagine their living spaces. That seasonal inspiration can be channeled into fresh ideas from the Daybreak Home and Outdoor Recreation Expo, an engaging event created for homeowners and their families to enjoy together.
At the heart of the expo is Sylvia Andersen, producer and owner, whose career in the home show industry has shaped a vision beyond booths and brochures. With more than 40 years of experience, and as part of a company celebrating its 50th year, she is bringing a community-centered approach to the southwest part of the Salt Lake Valley.
“There has been such an increase in the standard home show that I felt we needed to add greater variety and more interest so the whole family can come together,” Andersen said. “That’s the premise of my motivation for
our shows, is the family can come out and find something for everyone.”
That philosophy is evident in every aspect of the show’s design. While traditional home improvement vendors from roofing and windows to kitchen and bath remodeling are well represented, the Daybreak show expands the concept of “home” to include outdoor living spaces and shared family experiences.
“Our format is everything you need for your home and family in one place on one weekend,” she said.
While that may include home improvements, what sets this event apart is its emphasis on connection, in the home, outdoor living spaces and outdoor recreational activities.
Andersen said in Utah, the outdoors is a natural extension of family life, and she’s built the idea directly into the show.
“My whole goal, with my background of being born and raised in Utah, is family,” she
said. “My goal with the outdoor recreation portion of our show is to have families find hobbies and activities they can do together and enjoy together as a family.”
Instead of parents browsing while kids grow restless, the expo is filled with handson, free activities designed to engage all ages. Families can try archery, learn the basics of fly fishing and fly tying, or possibly, test out a kayak or paddleboard in a small on-site pool. There is Dutch oven cooking to sample, a BB gun range experience in a safe environment and a putting green to try out golf.
Andersen’s goal is simple: to spark curiosity. If children discover they love archery or a parent finds joy in outdoor cooking, those moments can turn into lasting family traditions.
Beyond activities, education is another cornerstone of the show. Hourly doit-yourself workshops give attendees the chance to learn practical skills, from painting techniques to tile installation to seasonal gardening tips. These sessions are led by experienced vendors, blending instruction with real-world expertise.
Andersen said the educational component isn’t a bonus, it’s essential. She said a major survey asked patrons what brought them out of their easy chair to a home show.
“The No. 1 response was to learn something. It’s not the sales; it’s not the deals. It’s to learn something,” she said.
That insight has shaped the event’s
structure, ensuring visitors leave not just with ideas, but also with confidence to tackle a project themselves or hire a professional they’ve met in person.
“The myriads of things they see in the show, they can see and touch and feel it personally. They’re not buying from an ad. They’re not buying from the television. They’re not calling a stranger as they literally meet the owner, the person they’re going to be working with. They get a feel for their product, and its immediate knowledge if they’re going to want to work with this company,” Andersen said.
She also is intentional about the vendor mix. Rather than overwhelming attendees with dozens of similar booths, Andersen carefully curates categories to maintain balance and variety.
“When an attendee walks into one of my home shows, they’re not going to see 25 kitchens and think it’s a kitchen show,” she said. “They’ll see maybe three or four. We don’t want one category taking over a show so it becomes boring.”
Every contractor featured at the show is vetted to ensure they are licensed and insured, giving attendees peace of mind as they explore potential home projects, Andersen said.
The event’s location at the Daybreak ballpark was intentionally selected as the expo is tailored to the needs of residents in the surrounding areas, communities experiencing rapid growth and unique housing demands, she said.
“I live here; I know it well,” Andersen said. “The needs in the south valley are unique.”
From new construction homes needing landscaping and window treatments to older properties ready for remodeling, the show reflects the realities of the area. It’s
also designed to be accessible, with free admission, free parking and at a manageable size allowing visitors to explore everything in a few hours.
Adding to the excitement are hourly giveaways, early bird gifts for the first 100 attendees each day and a larger “ultimate campsite” prize package, which is an extension of the show’s outdoor recreation theme.
“There are planned interactions for the whole family, where every member of the family is going to come away happy,” Andersen said.
Ultimately, the Daybreak Home and Outdoor Recreation Expo is more than an event; it’s a reflection of Andersen’s lifelong commitment to building connections, supporting local businesses and strengthening families.
“We sell space to (vendors to) have it be an all-around positive experience for our attendees,” she said. “We want them to find what they’re looking for and they come away feeling like they learned something. From a standpoint of being a producer, watching a company grow because they are pivoting in my shows is extremely rewarding and that I helped families change their lives is what it’s all about. I love bringing it together; I love what I do.”
SHOW DETAILS
The Home & Outdoor Recreation Expo Sponsored by Tru180
Noon – 8 p.m., Friday, May 29
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, May 30
The Ballpark at America First Square concourses
Free tickets and additional information: www.thebesthomeshow.com
I’m
By Rebecca Olds |rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com
Business owners in Utah’s trades are teaming up with Make-AWish Utah to help grant children’s wishes in the state and give “the gift of hope” with a program they are deeming “Trades for Wishes.”
Leading the efforts are two wouldbe competitors — TruePros Heating and Air owner Katy Higgins, A Plus Garage Doors owner Carrie Kelsch, along with Ellen Rohrer of ServiceTitan and Summer Ehrmann of Make-A-Wish Utah — joining forces and raising funds that will help grant wishes of Utah children across the state.
“What started as a single moment quickly became something bigger,” said Higgins.
“Other companies began asking how they could be part of it. That’s when we realized this could be more than a onetime effort — it could be a movement.”
Eleven companies are currently involved, Ehrmann said, “with new partners making fundraising commitments each week.”
“This community-led initiative brings our mission to life: to grant life-changing wishes for Utah’s kids fighting critical illnesses,” Ehrmann said. “As MakeA-Wish Utah charges nothing for its services and receives no government funding, we rely on the support of Utah communities to grant Utah wishes.”
TruePros worked with Ehrmann and Make-A-Wish Utah to help grant wishes for kids like Kyson last year. The company raised $25,000, earned by setting aside $25 per install. Kyson’s wish was to go to Walt Disney World.
Kelsch also attended a wish proclamation event for Kyson, hosted by Higgins. Both Higgins and Kelsch have experienced the power of Make-AWish Utah, with Higgins’s daughter and Kelsch’s niece and, by extension, her daughter, being wish recipients.
Higgins’ 27-year-old stepdaughter, Seattle, had her own wish granted 20 years ago.
Seattle is blind, deaf and mute, and lives full-time with Higgins and her husband. Despite her severe condition, Higgins said they are on “borrowed time” as Seattle is one of the oldest living people with her disease.
Her legacy is cemented at the MakeA-Wish Utah facility, where her story is featured in the organization’s third scrapbook and her star remains in their ceiling’s constellation.
“The work they do down there is in-
credible,” Higgins said Currently, there are more than 270 Utah children waiting for their wishes to be granted.
The group started “Trades for Wishes” with the conservative goal to raise $100,000 in 2026, $75,000 more than what TruePros raised alone in 2025 for Kyson.
But it has quickly gained traction, and by the end of April, the program has already exceeded Higgins’ starting goal. Now, Kelsch said, they are thinking bigger for the end of the year, closer to the $1 million mark, surpassing all other MakeA-Wish Utah fundraising initiatives.
“I don’t want people to feel like they’re not big enough to contribute, and I don’t want them to feel like they’re too big to contribute,” Higgins said. “This is all about doing your part in your own way and your own time.”
Even after a devastating winter in 2026 due to lack of snow that put financial strain on many small businesses, Higgins is encouraging creative giving, big or small. Each company can work with Make-A-Wish Utah to build a customized fundraising plan tailored to the goals and values of each company.
It’s a way to give back in a different way than Utah’s trade companies are already doing, Kelsch said.
Carrie Kelsch, owner of A Plus Garage Doors, and Katy Higgins, owner of TruePros Heating and Air, are teaming up to make children’s wishes come true.
(Courtesy Katy Higgins)
“Think about what the trades have built for you,” said Kelsh. “They build all your houses, they do all the plumbing and the HVAC and the garage doors and roofs — they build communities.”
They are inviting all trade companies in Utah to join “Trades for Wishes” and join in a large celebration on December 12, on the Day of the Trades. At that event, the Trades for Wishes companies and staff will gather to surprise a Utah wish child with the news that their wish will be granted.
Higgins and Kelsch imagine a parking lot full of vans from all trades rounded up, branded apparel everywhere and a grinning kid in the middle of it — really bringing a “human element.”
Ultimately, it comes down to what that grinning kid represents. Medical studies published in the Journal of Pediatric Medicine show that kids who receive wishes do better than kids who don’t. Higgins called it “ a gift of hope.”
“We’re the ones taking care of the weather, the sewer, the water, the roofs, the garage doors, the electricity,” said Higgins. “What about the children?”
