SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Products as diverse as soy-based candles, jars of homegrown salsa, packaged ground pork and baked items were available for samples and purchase during the Illinois Products Expo March 2-3 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

More than 80 vendors were at the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) sponsored event, now in its 15th year, sharing one common link: Their products originate from the Land of Lincoln.

“The Expo is a great way to get Illinois companies in place over one weekend and educate consumers on all the wonderful Illinois products we have,” said Jennifer Tirey, bureau chief of Marketing and Promotions for the IDOA.

The event attracted 6,826 paid customers and approximately 2,500 kids under 10 years of age who were admitted free of charge, Tirey added. In addition to exposing thousands of consumers to the diversity of Illinois products, the expo served as a conduit between vendors and restaurant and grocery operators.

“We invited buyers to a special show on Saturday (March 2) morning. Approximately 70 buyers came in from St. Louis, Rockford, central Illinois and pretty much all over the state. They met one-on-one with the vendors and several commitments and leads were established,” she reported.

Now held in the Orr Building, after moving from a smaller venue on the fairgrounds, the Illinois Products Expo was bustling with families and vendors on March 3.

“I’m getting calls from vendors who are getting increases in sales and more leads from stores, from the show,” Tirey said a few days after the expo. “Vendors told me their sales on Saturday were more than their total weekend sales from last year.”

Show organizers have entertained the thought of relocating the expo to another venue away from the fairgrounds in order to accommodate the growing crowds and vendors, yet at least the 2014 Illinois Products Expo has already been slated for March 1-2 in the Orr again.

“We’ve grown to where we are at capacity in the Orr Building. We’ve talked about potentially moving offsite, but by doing that we run into additional costs. We’re really fortunate to not have any rental costs using the fairgrounds,” explained Tirey.

The Illinois Products Expo was created by the IDOA to help stimulate sales and call attention to the economic potential of local foods. The impetus for the expo is continued through the IDOA “Buy Illinois Challenge,” which urges consumers to set aside 10 percent of their weekly grocery budgets for Illinois-grown and -manufactured products.

“This would generate over $2.4 billion in the (state) economy in a year. That’s real money,” Tirey said. “We’re asking that you look for the ‘Illinois Product’ label and that you buy locally from small businesses that, many times, are your friends and neighbors. We want to keep spurring the local economies.”

Other products available at the expo included gourmet popcorn, fudge, pizza, spices, sauces, ice cream, hot peppers, pasta, breads, cheese, wine and beer, nuts and candy, beef summer sausage, Italian beef, pork barbeque and wing sauce.

Celebrity Chef Patrick Cassata, featured on Season 10 of “Hell’s Kitchen,” presented a cooking demonstration using Illinois products during the expo, as did Jolene Adams from the Culinary Institute of Lincoln Land Community College. Illinois Products baskets were given away as door prizes.