CRUNCH TIME BEGINS FOR RIVERFEST VOLUNTEERS

Cape Girardeau has about one week left to prepare for its second-largest tourist attraction -- Riverfest '96. Thousands of people are expected to attend the two-day event in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Committee chairman Laurel Adkisson said there are still plenty of jobs to be finished before Friday. Volunteers will be cleaning their headquarters, putting up fencing and cleaning out trailers this weekend. Next week, they begin organizing the downtown so that booths and stands can be set up, Adkisson said.

Events begin at 3 p.m. Friday, June 14 and conclude with a concert and fireworks display Saturday night. The theme is "Mississippi Magic."

Riverfest is the city's second-biggest tourist attraction. The annual SEMO District Fair ranks as the top crowd-pleaser for the area.

Riverfest is one of Cape Girardeau's main tourist attractions because it is affordable, said Mary Miller, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"All the activities are family-oriented," she said. "You can take your whole family. It has a great atmosphere."

Some of the activities include a Family Fun Village with crafts and games for children, talent performances, and magic shows, a Civil War encampment, working crafts and a Miss Riverfest pageant.

Riverfest '96 T-shirts also will be for sale downtown. About 1,300 shirts already have been sold, but they can be purchased until 5 p.m. Tuesday at pre-sale prices at 430 Broadway. Children's shirts cost $8; adult sizes are $9 and $10.

Local artist Don Greenwood designed the shirts, which were printed by Horizon Screen Printing. The design won third place for multicolor designs in a contest sponsored by The Press, a sportswear trade magazine. It was entered in a national contest in March.

Many people from out-of-town attend Riverfest for the entertainment. This year, several local bands will be featured. Local group Kernel Mustard will perform Saturday in the beer garden, while the All-Star Blues Band and Teresa Morrill sing on the main stage. Lonestar, a newcomer to the country music scene, will perform Saturday at 9:15 p.m.

Much like music concerts draw groupies, Riverfest draws people from all across the state. The free event is always mentioned to out-of-town callers at the CVB office, Miller said.

"We make sure people wanting information about Riverfest get it into their hands," she said, adding that the event was listed in the 1995 calendar of events published by the Missouri Division of Tourism. Last year, a Riverfest brochure was inserted into an Indiana newspaper.

"Riverfest has a wonderful tradition," said Miller, who was involved with the very first Riverfest 18 years ago. "It began as a fish fry down by the river and has gotten its wings and it's grown tremendously."

Crowd estimates range from 20,000 to 50,000. Since there is no admission fee, exact numbers are hard to determine.

Free shuttles from the Show Me Center and West Park Mall also are available. The shuttles run hourly until midnight.

Riverfest '96 is sponsored by Dana Corp. and Southwestern Bell Telephone.