CRAFT VENDORS PREPARE THEIR WARES FOR THE 1994 RIVERFEST

Cacti to calico, pottery to peanuts, the unique and unusual will be featured by arts and crafts vendors at Riverfest '94.

Scheduled for June 10-11 in downtown Cape Girardeau, Riverfest features a variety of entertainment and activities for the family, including fireworks on June 11.

Corporate sponsors for Riverfest '94 are Capital Bank, St. Francis Medical Center, Southwestern Bell Telephone and Fox 23 KBSI-TV.

Nancy Ross, chairman of the Riverfest Arts and Crafts Committee, said arts and crafts vendors will have booths along two blocks of Main Street between Broadway and Independence, exhibiting and selling items ranging from hand-crafted toys to specially designed jewelry.

Ross said a number of crafters are longtime Riverfest participants. Among them are Nadine Greenlee, who has been bringing her variety of cacti and other succulents to Riverfest for years. "Her dish gardens are one of Riverfest's most interesting and popular items," Ross said.

Also returning this year are Larry and Cathy Hughes from Springfield, with their antique peanut roaster. In addition to peanuts, the couple offer old-fashioned sarsaparilla. They dress in last 1800s style.

Ross added that Cape Girardeau resident Kimberly Bowers will display a nostalgic line of country clothing. The line includes calico and gingham dresses and jumpers with hand-painted ceramic buttons.

One booth, Ross said, is a "hands on" exercise in creativity. "At the sand art booth, individuals can make their own designs, choosing from different colors of sand and bottle containers."

Other items that will be shown at Riverfest are dressed bears, dolls, wreaths and baskets from dried flowers and herbs, wooden toys and furniture, old-fashioned trunks, Indian pipes, tie-dyed clothing and bed sheets, shadow boxes and a large selection of miniatures and wheel-thrown, functional pottery with artist-developed glazes.

Individuals interested in setting up a booth at Riverfest may contact Ross by writing to her at 2320 Sherwood in Cape Girardeau, or calling her evenings at 335-7955 or by calling Benita Curtis at the Riverfest office, 335-1388. Craft spaces may be reserved at a cost of $40 each.