When Scott and I bought our house a few years ago, our first investment for the outside was a nice patio set.

We knew that if we wanted something to last awhile, we’d have to splurge a bit. And after looking back on summer nights spent grilling and enjoying our backyard, the set we got was definitely worth its pricetag.

Although we haven’t been able to dust off the patio furniture and grill yet, we’ve been counting the weeks til it’ll be time to dine outside.  And with the Spring Fabulous Food Show coming up next weekend, we shouldn’t find ourselves short on inspiration this season.

After the success of the Fall Fabulous Food Show, the I-X Center has now added a Springtime counterpart to celebrate all of the great outdoor grilling that comes with the return of warm weather.

Taking place April 28 and 29, the first annual Spring Fabulous Food Show will feature expert chef presentations, ideas for patios and other outdoor living spaces, and a showroom full of exhibitors.

Headlining the event is the grill master himself – Bobby Flay, who will be joined in the Backyard Patio Theatre with fellow celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, author of the Barbeque Bible Steven Raichlen, and Weber Grills’ cookbook author Jamie Purviance.

If you miss them on the mainstage, Raichlen and Purviance will be demonstrating grilling techniques in the Weber Grilling Pavilion, where you can also catch one of my favorite local chefs – Greenhouse Tavern’s Jonathon Sawyer – team up with Jason Roberts for a demonstration during Saturday’s show.

At the Outdoor Living Stage landscaping experts will be showcasing deck and patio design ideas, while at the Farmers Market Stage you can learn gardening, wellness and sustainability tips from local and regional chefs, horticulturists and other culinary experts.

Wine and beer lovers who attended the Fall Fabulous Food Show may be happy to see the Tasting Gardens are back. For $10, guests get six tasting tickets and a Schott Zwiesel crystal glass to peruse a selection of wine, beer and spirits.

More up my alley is the Ice Cream Shoppe – new to the Spring Fabulous Food Show – where you can sample ice cream from Graeter’s, Menchie’s, Pierre’s and many others. Tasting tickets are just $1 per sample.

And this year’s Market Place offers a healthy mix of home and garden exhibitors and culinary treats, along with a few stands for the family member that possibly loves the outdoors more than us — our dogs.

General Admission to the Spring Fabulous Food Show costs $25 in advance ($30 at the door) and, unlike the Fall Show, this includes a reserved seating ticket to one celebrity chef presentation of your choice. You can order your tickets online here and save a few dollars by using one of these discount codes.

But wait, there’s more – I’m also giving away a pair of Spring Fabulous Food Show tickets to one lucky winner!

There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway

**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) Leave a comment with the name of your favorite dish to grill or cook up in the summer. You’ll earn one entry for doing this.

2) Like “Fabulous Food Show” and “Clue Into Cleveland” on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did both.

3) Follow @FabFoodShow and @ADHicken on Twitter and leave me a comment letting me know you did both.

4) Twitter users can get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “It’s grilling time! Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway for a chance to attend the Spring @FabFoodShow: http://wp.me/pPIgG-1bR”  (Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.)

5) Subscribe to receive Clue Into Cleveland blog posts in your inbox or Google/blog reader and leave a comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “You’ve Got Mail” section of this page.

You have until Tuesday, April 24 at 11:59PM to enter. On Wednesday, April 25, I will select a winner using Random.org and will announce the winner’s name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

***Disclosure: I was provided 2 tickets to give away to a reader. As always, my thoughts and the choice of events I share are 100% my own. Images courtesy of the Fabulous Food Show.***