CLEVELAND — After missing 2021, more than 400 vendors are on display at an annual home improvement event in northeast Ohio.

The Great Big Home and Garden Show returned to the I-X Center on Friday following a year off due to COVID-19. With home projects becoming popular during the pandemic, thousands of people are expected to attend the event. 

James and Jamie Kelty just recently moved into their new home. 

“Between Christmas and New Year’s,” said Jamie. 

They already have their sights set on a few fixer-upper projects. They plan to finish their basement and spruce up their backyard. The pair said they were at the home show on a mission. 

“We’ve been here in past years, but it was more so to walk through,” said Jamie. “This is our first year being here for a reason.”

They wanted to find a company capable of transforming their house inside and out. 

“If we could hire one contractor instead of three or four contractors, that would make everything a little easier,” said James. “Save money in the long run, at the same time.”

They stopped by the Oboy Construction booth to see if their team was up to the task. Owner Shaun Obradovic’s been in the construction industry since he was 16. 

“Wanted to create new jobs and not do the same thing every day,” he said. 

These days, he’s staying busy with a variety of projects. 

“Definitely seeing a lot of people wanting bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, remodeling, additions, garages, any type of project, now,” he said. 

The pandemic brought a boost in business, but also put a high demand on supplies. 

“I mean, windows are taking 16 to 20 weeks,” said his wife, Missy, business manager for Oboy Construction. “You’re looking at rising costs in wood and siding and roofing materials.”

The 10-day show is providing the team at Oboy a chance to fill their calendar. 

“I feel like since the pandemic, people are staying home more and they really want to love their space more and I think they’re really looking into freshening it up, and brightening it up, and changing it up,” Missy said. “Because they are spending more time at home as a family.”

The Great Big Home and Garden Show runs through Feb. 13. For times and tickets, visit greatbighomeandgarden.com.