Residents and businesses will have a chance to do something they’ve never done before in the area – visit one place to learn about the businesses, services, activities, organizations and virtually everything else available in the River Valley.

The River Valley Expo aims to showcase everything the area has to offer, said Rosie Bradley, one of three co-chairwomen who’ve been working to put the ambitious event together for nearly two years. It is jointly sponsored by the River Valley Chamber and the River Valley Growth Council.

Several thousand people from throughout western Maine and eastern New Hampshire are expected to attend the marketing event. Included in the more than 150 booths and exhibits inside and outside Mountain Valley High School will be music, an art show, a chance to learn how to live healthier and a place to drop off young children so parents can browse through the displays.

Retail businesses, manufacturers, auto and sports vehicle dealerships, nonprofit organizations, municipalities and even a fledgling museum will be on display. Hundreds of giveaways will be handed out, at least a dozen artists from the community will exhibit their works and some of the area’s restaurants will offer their fare.

And there’s no cost to attend Saturday’s marketing fair or to attend the business seminars and workshops offered on Friday night and Saturday.

The two-day event aims to promote the River Valley as well as to offer assistance to those who may be thinking about starting their own business. Plans are to make this an annual event.

Marketing workshop

On Friday night from 4 to 7 p.m. a Business to Business evening will be held where admittance is a business card. Businesspeople will have a chance to network with each other as well as take part in a workshop on “Identifying Your Target Market.”

On Saturday, events open for the public starting at 9 a.m. and run all day until 4 p.m. In addition to seeing the 150 exhibits, people can take part in any of four business-related workshops on resources available for businesses, building a Web site, online businesses and information on the now being developed River Valley Technology Center.

A brochure outlining all the exhibits, prizes, workshops and other events will be available at the door Saturday. The grand prize for the day is a three-day trip to New York City.

Parking will be available at the second entrance to the high school or at Rumford Elementary School where Western Maine Transportation will run free shuttles every 10 to 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Most business and nonprofit displays will be in the high school gym, with some of the larger exhibits on the high school grounds. A series of “Living Well in the Valley” displays will be in the library, offering such services as cholesterol screening, blood pressure checks, information on quitting smoking and other health-related issues.

Several towns have created booths to showcase themselves, including Rumford, which has developed a 60-minute video and other display materials, and Mexico, which is working with the local historical society. Other towns with displays will be Dixfield and Hanover.

Artwork will be displayed along the corridors. The Kids Extravaganza, which offers free child care for those ages 2-8, will provide games and activities for the kids while their parents visit displays.

“I think we have some really neat things, even some I haven’t heard of,” said Bradley. “I look at it as a showcase event for the River Valley.”

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