Rescheduled Jackson in Bloom draws big crowd

Jackson in Bloom drew a big crowd Saturday to uptown Jackson, celebrating spring with plants, vendors, an antique tractor show and more.

Sponsored by Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization, the fourth annual event aimed to outdo previous years, with uptown merchants organizing Fashion in Bloom Week before the celebration, which was postponed from the original April 29 date, and adding an antique tractor show.

Organizer Janet Sanders said she was excited to see so many people out enjoying the day.

“It’s going well,” she said, adding a lot of people had been there.

She wasn’t sure of the entire crowd count, but knew well over 100 people had been through as of noon Saturday.

Rykar Martin, 4, runs alongside his sister, Aubriee, 3, as she pedals down High Street on Saturday during Jackson in Bloom in Jackson.Laura Simon

The Cape Girardeau County History Center had 150 visitors as of noon Saturday, which didn’t count visitors to the plant sale or other attractions.

The history center featured a quilt show by Lana New and several craft stations set up for children who could buy tickets at a booth outside and bring them in to trade for a chance to make items such as cloth necklaces, paper flowers and “troll hair” using tulle ribbons and headbands.

Tyra West, who was with her grandmother, Chris Pagano, said she was having fun at Jackson in Bloom.

“Making the troll hair has been my favorite part so far,” West said.

Jackson alderwoman Wanda Young helped make paper flowers at her craft station, walking participants through the process.

“It’s so fun to have family-friendly events like this,” Young said, adding uptown Jackson has changed a lot in the past few years thanks to many volunteers’ passionate support.

Among the vendors selling plant-related items such as garden statues and clothing was the plant sale by Jackson High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter.

FFA adviser James McCormack said the chapter has held the plant sale at Jackson in Bloom every year.

“We sell annuals, herbs, vegetables, but no perennials,” McCormack said, adding the students do all the work of growing the plants.

“It’s based off of what we sold last year and what people ask for that we don’t have,” McCormack said, adding the students make suggestions, too.

While most plants were in six-packs, some hanging baskets were available.

“We’ve had a lot of people through,” McCormack said, especially at 9 a.m. when unloading the truck. “This morning was crazy.”

Sanders said she’d noticed the plant sale was “mobbed” early.

Adding atmosphere to High Street was an antique tractor show by Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club. Ford, John Deere, McCormick Farmall and others were parked side by side, with a 1915 Fairbanks Morse Model H running its six-horsepower engine to demonstrate how it would have been used on the farm a century ago.

Owner Ron Biester said he got interested in antique engines about 35 years ago, when his neighbor moved in next door and had a couple of his own.

“I figured I needed one, then another,” Biester said.

His collection now numbers around 80 antique engines, he said.

Biester enjoys showing his engines, he said, giving people an idea what can be done with them.

Another of his engine, a John Deere model, was running a belt attached to a pump that poured water into a bucket as onlookers watched.

Kids’ activities on the courthouse lawn included a bounce castle with a slide, inflatable games and a couple of craft stations, Sanders said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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