RIVERBOAT HIGHLIGHTS RIVERFEST

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Riverfest revelers for the first time may ride the Mississippi aboard a paddlewheeler during this year's annual downtown celebration.

Organizers of Riverfest announced Monday plans for a riverboat to make excursions from the Cape Girardeau waterfront June 7 and 8.

In all, 20 cruises will be made during the weekend, 15 of which will be hourlong excursions. Tickets for the cruises go on sale Monday.

The "Spirit of Riverfest," as the boat will be temporarily renamed, is a Victorian-era sternwheeler officially known as the "Spirit of St. Charles" when operating out of its home port of St. Charles, Mo.

"One reason we have Riverfest is to celebrate our river heritage, so it's fitting that arrangements have been made to bring this excursion boat to our annual festival," said Diane Howard, president of the Cape Girardeau Riverfest Association Board of Directors.

Howard said bringing a riverboat to the festival has been a longtime goal of the organization.

"This will be one of the most exciting things happening at Cape's Riverfest," said Tim Blattner, who coordinated efforts to bring the boat here. "Clearly, we are all very excited."

He said negotiations with the "Spirit of St. Charles" owners began in the fall.

Boatmen's Bank is sponsoring the boat's visit here along with Zimmer Broadcasting.

In addition to hourlong excursions, several special outings are planned aboard the boat, including a fireworks cruise Saturday night and lunch and dinner cruises Sunday.

Blattner said: "My charge from the Riverfest Association was to do this on a break-even basis. At Riverfest we have always tried to give folks a good time for a reasonable price."

Tickets for the 60-minute excursions, for example, cost $6 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under. Discount tickets are available from Boatmen's Bank for afternoon excursions on Friday and Saturday. The $2 discount will lower an adult ticket to $4 and a child's ticket to $2.

A member of the Riverfest planning committee, Johnny Ray Conklin said, "We think it will bring additional people to Riverfest from farther away who will be interested in the riverboat and will stay to enjoy the Riverfest activities."

Howard said he expects one of the first cruises to sell out will be a Saturday night fireworks cruise. Riverboat riders will view the fireworks display from aboard the boat.

Conklin said this year's display will be the best ever. "We've hired a national company, and it will be tremendous, to make up for last year," he said. Last year's display was difficult to see from the Riverfest grounds.

The 60-minute sight-seeing cruises during Riverfest will begin at 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 7, at noon June 8, and at 3 p.m. June 9.

Tickets for the fireworks cruise Saturday night are $15. The lunch cruise Sunday is $15.50 and the dinner cruise costs $21.50.

Passengers may also ride from Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau June 6; from Cape Girardeau to Wittenberg June 10; and from Kimmswick to the St. Louis riverfront June 11.

In addition to Boatmen's Bank, tickets also may be purchased at the Show Me Center in person, by phone or through the mail. Credit-card phone orders may be placed by calling 651-5000.

Tickets not sold in advance will be available at the Cape Girardeau riverfront during Riverfest.

Riverfest is a two-day family festival in downtown Cape Girardeau. It includes arts and crafts displays, free stage entertainment, carnival rides, food and beverages.

Admission to the grounds is free. A shuttle bus service will be provided for those attending.

Corporate sponsors for the event are Fox 23 KBSI-TV, St. Francis Medical Center, Southwestern Bell Telephone and Savings of America.