HOME SHOW DRAWS THOUSANDS TO CAPE

Windows, garage doors, softened water and hot tubs were among the items offered by one of 35 booths set up Thursday and Friday for the Southeast Missouri Home Builders Home & Garden Show.

And each of the booths had sales representatives to inform the 6,500 people that passed through the doors of the Show Me Center Saturday how well the products fit in homes or on lawns.

Saturday was the longest day of the show and probably saw the most people, said Cindy Gage, spokeswoman for the event.

"Of course, everything continues Sunday," she said.

The curious also were encouraged to sample beef dishes and attend seminars discussing a variety of topics dealing with home building, remodeling or lawn care and landscaping.

The 1995 Missouri Beef Cook-Off also was held Saturday afternoon with five entrants.

Marie Walls of Poplar Bluff and her Greek Pita Pizza picked up $900 cash, a $100 beef certificate and a large silver serving platter for her first-place finish.

Gage said the same seminars and products will be featured today until the doors close at 5 p.m.

"We have our green thumb seminars and we'll all still be here," she said. "We're expecting a pretty good crowd Sunday afternoon, especially after church."

The Home Show opens at 10 a.m.

At 4:45 p.m., prize winners will be announced but winners don't have to be present to receive their prize, Gage said.