JACKSON AREA HOT SPOT FOR HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS

JACKSON, Mo. -- A little mud, a lot of cars and the biggest fireworks show in the region made City Park a regional hot spot for Independence Day.

By the end of July 4, an estimated 35,000 had eaten hot dogs, gazed at hot rods and driven from Arkansas and Illinois to see what Jackson had to offer, said Tim Wright, who volunteered to organize the event for the Jackson Jaycees.

Wright credited corporate sponsors, the city of Jackson and a Jaycees group that has more than doubled in membership since last fall with the celebration's growth.

Having the only fireworks show in Cape Girardeau County helped, too, Wright said.

Until the fireworks started, a fun run, karaoke contest and a petting zoo of deer and goats were some of the amusements available at the park.

The mud volleyball tournament drew 48 co-ed teams, but could have had more. Several teams were turned away from the double-elimination competition because of time limitations, Wright said. The games were scheduled for either 20 minutes or 15 points, whichever came first.

"If we let them all play, the games could go on well into the night," a Jaycee organizer said.

The three mud pits went from ankle-deep to knee-deep mud as the day went on. Competitors wore paths between the pits and a fire hose sprinkling water down from a Jackson Fire Department ladder truck.

Given the choice between courts of sand, hardwood or mud, Chad King of Fredericktown, Mo., will take mud. It's a more wide-open game.

"We can expand," he said. "We run and leap and dive without fear."

Besides, King said, mother does the laundry.

"Really, it's not much different than when we go out and work on the farm," he said.

Marci Myracle of Jackson volunteered to referee the games. The play wasn't very clean, she said.

"The referees try to watch players going into the net, but because of the mud we let them get away with a lot of other stuff," Myracle said. "Otherwise it would be too hard to make calls."

The Capaha Antique Car Club didn't turn any drivers away Tuesday, but parking spots for contestants in the 22-class competition became tight.

Over 220 entries came from between St. Louis and the Bootheel, said Dave Jackson, club president. Last year, 150 cars were in the show.

Don Rotter of Ste. Genevieve took the Best of Show award in the car division for his 1933 street rod Ford coupe. The award in the truck division went to Jim Miller of Perryville for his 1967 Chevy pickup. Van Matre Buick sponsored the car class while McDowell South sponsored the truck division.

Clay Brown of St. Louis took home the traveling trophy in the car show.