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Dayton and the area is on display at Expo

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Judy Eslick, of Dayton, gets a makeover from Jane Klingson, owner of Jane's Hair Flair in Harcourt, who was exhibiting Younique makeup and skin care products at the Dayton Expo Saturday in the Dayton Community Center. The event highlights businesses in Dayton and the surrounding area.

By HANS MADSEN

hmadsen@messengernews.net

DAYTON — For visitors attending the 24th annual Dayton Expo at the Dayton Community Center, the event Saturday offered something of interest to almost everyone among the Dayton and area businesses at the show.

Judy Eslick, of Dayton, found herself comfortably seated in a chair getting a Younique makeup demonstration from Jane Klingson, owner of Jane’s Hair Flair in Harcourt.

She didn’t expect that from the Expo.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Janis Miller, at left, the owner of J & J Candles, of Manson, along with her daughter, Rachael Castle, of Fort Dodge, watch as Diane Peterson, of Burnside, checks out one of the 132 different scents of candle she offers during the Dayton Expo Saturday at the Dayton Community Center.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “I thought I was going to be looking at windows and sprayer parts.”

Eslick said she was pleasantly surprised at the variety of vendors and how many of those exhibiting, were Dayton and area businesses.

Janis Miller, of Manson, is the owner of J & J Candles. This was her first time at the Dayton Expo.

“I heard about it last year,” she said.

Miller offers, at last count, 132 scents.

“We’re constantly adding new ones,” she said. “Right now we’re easing out of the Christmas scents and easing in the spring ones.”

Some of her scents have colorful names: There’s one called Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Then there’s Grandpa’s Pipe, Bite Me, Monkey Farts, which smells like banana, and the Heart & Soil of Iowa that actually smells like freshly plowed soil.

How does one get a candle to smell like freshly plowed soil?

“It’s a secret,” Miller said.

Miller’s daughter, Rachael Castle, of Fort Dodge, was helping out in the booth.

“A lot of people buy them just for the names,” she said. “They make great gag gifts.”

Miller began making candles in 1997 after doing a candle-making project at Iowa Central Community College.

“I’ve been at it ever since,” she said.

After all that time, she still has a passion for the craft.

“I can spend 10 to 12 hours in my basement making pours,” she said. “I still love it. That tells me this is what I need to be doing. Plus, I get my family involved.”

Diane Peterson, of Burnside, attended the Expo to experience the scents.

“That was my main purpose,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity to smell them in person.”

Visitors to the Expo could also stop and visit with some of the members of the recently revived Dayton American Legion Post 323.

Post Commander Gary Zerwas, of Dayton, said the group has taken on a new project to make sure that all the veterans’ graves in the Dayton and McGuire Bend cemeteries have the proper brass marker for their service.

“We have about 50 graves that don’t have markers,” he said. “As a Legion, we’re making sure that all the graves have them.”

Sue Tegtmeier, of Ogden, was on hand with several tables full of horse supplies and a selection of her handmade clothing that she usually sells online.

She was enjoying the show and even tried her hand at getting the hang of a marionette puppet she had for sale. For Tegtmeier, the show was a chance to enjoy the many visitors.

“The people here are great,” she said. “I even met some of our friends here.”

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