This weekend, while returning students slowly filled up the Dartmouth campus, approximately 14,000 people - mostly families from the Upper Valley - drove in packs to Leverone Field House for the 15th annual Home and Life exhibition.
Parents and their children roamed through the 257 booths, perusing showcases from a variety of exhibitors ranging from the Toys'N'Stuff toy store to ACoRN, the Upper Valley's AIDS Community Resource Network.
Other visitors relaxed, lounging on a sofa while watching "Back to the Future" at the Radio Shack booth.
The tarantulas and goldfish at the Lebanon Pet and Aquarium Center booth fascinated adults and children alike.
Even tiny tot superstar Barney, a giant purple dinosaur with his own cartoon show on television, was there. He was greeted by ecstatic infants who ran up and hugged him at the booth for the Children's Center of the Upper Valley.
Hanover and Lebanon Chambers of Commerce presented the event to showcase "a wide variety of goods and services as an aid to consumers so that, number one, consumers can see them and, number two, businesses can show their products," said Jim Wechsler '55, one of the show's chief organizers.
Art Urbain, who worked at the Allen Pools and Spas booth, agreed. Allen Pools and Spas has come to the exhibition for 12 years.
"It's very beneficial. We do a lot of business out of it," Urbain said. "It gives us exposure to a lot of people so that they know where we are and they know what we sell."
Larry LeClair, who worked at the Mink Brook Outfitters booth, also said the show exposed his business to a number of people who do not know of it.
Some businesses went all out with their presentations.
Jazzercise members puffed and sweated through a choreographed aerobics routine to the songs of Tony Bennett. Afterwards, Jazzercising children performed their own routine and, despite a less polished performance, drew greater applause from the more than 150 exhibition goers who had gathered to watch.
Wechsler said the Upper Valley region's fluctuating economic climate makes the exhibition a positive service for local businesses.
"There's such a high turnover in the region that businesses feel that they have to continually market themselves," he said.
Some non-business groups also rented booths to get their messages out to a large group of people.
Alex Dohan, staff liaison for the Upper Valley Hazardous Waste Committee, said the Montshire Museum of Science sponsored her group to instruct Upper Valley residents about household hazardous materials.
"We're here for educational purposes - to educate the public about our monthly household hazardous collection," Dohan said.
"It's a really good way for us to reach a lot of people who don't necessarily think about hazardous wastes," she said. "We're not trying to convert everybody but we can make them think a little."
Wechsler said mounting the show involves a full year's organization.
Immediately after the show, organizers meet to critique and discuss the exhibit and start planning for the upcoming year. By October, they line up businesses, who pay $350 and up for booths, depending on size.
Two months before the show, organizers have to meet with all the College departments - including the Dartmouth College Athletic Department and Dartmouth Dining Services - involved in the show.
Facilities, Operations and Management, the department responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the College and campus, work to facilitate the needs of the show participants, laying down the flooring to protect the Leverone track and wiring the booths.
"It's more or less cooperation and communication with all the College departments who are involved," said Linda Hathorne, director of conferences and events for Facilities, Operations and Management. Hathorne met with the organizers and the police and fire departments.
The Hanover and Lebanon Chambers of Commerce have sponsored the event since 1979.
