THOUSANDS CROWD CRAFT FAIRS FOR BARGAINS

Four elementary teachers from Herrin, Ill. were among thousands of shoppers making a day of craft hunting in Cape Girardeau Saturday.

Two craft shows at three locations drew Christmas shoppers and craft fans by the thousands. More than 600 exhibitors are selling items at the two shows.

Both shows continue today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts craft show, is held at the Show Me Center. The River Valley Arts and Crafts Expo is held at the A.C. Brase Arena Building and the Holiday Inn. A $1 admission is charged at the Show Me Center, benefiting the arts council.

For the Herrin teachers, shopping for crafts has become a hobby.

"We go all the time, almost every weekend. We will go to all three craft fairs today," said Nancy Kirby of West Frankfort, Ill., as she stopped to admire her group's purchases at the Arena Building. "Now that I've discovered craft fairs, I never think of making things myself."

"We say we are out Christmas shopping, but mainly we buy things for ourselves," added Sarah Morgan of Herrin.

"Well, we do buy crafts for just about everyone for Christmas," said Clara Trill of Johnston City.

The shoppers are dedicated, they said. "We don't even stop to eat lunch," said Joann Proctor of Herrin.

Dorothy Ressel, vice president of fund raising for the St. Francis Medical Center Auxiliary, manned a booth in the Arena Building. "There have been thousands of people through here. I think there has been more this year than in the past.

"The weather is nice and it's much warmer than last year. We've done quite well."

Crowds were large at the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts craft show at the Show Me Center too.

Among shoppers there was Melinda Schnurbusch of Perryville, doing a little Christmas buying for friends, family and herself.

"You get neat things here you wouldn't get anywhere else unusual gifts that are good for people you don't know what to buy them."

Schnurbusch added that she often finds a few ideas for crafts she might make herself.

Melissa Baer, Schnurbusch's sister, accompanied her on the craft shopping outing and ended up buying more items.

"I just bought a home here in Cape Girardeau, and I'm looking for things to fill the walls," Baer said.

She found a little basket with a quilted top and a flower arrangement.

"My sister got me hooked on crafts," Baer said. "I can't do them so I buy them. I think they make a house more homey."

Ruth Froemsdorf of Jackson was selling her handmade items at the Show Me Center.

"There have been a lot of shoppers today," she said. "I have done fairly well."

Froemsdorf was selling an assortment of items, including wooden necklaces and counted cross stitch items.

"I do a lot of crafting, but I don't go to too many shows," she said.

Ruth Graham and her daughter, Carey, of Fulton, Ky. were shopping in Cape Girardeau for crafts.

"I did buy a couple sweatshirts for Christmas gifts, but these are mine," Graham said, referring to the shopping bags she carried.

"This is my fifth year to come here," she said. "I can get things over here that no one else has at least for a while."

Graham explained that her home is decorated in a country motif and handmade crafts fit the decor. "I especially like wood items," she said, showing off a new wooden rack to hold caps, a wooden village and a wooden welcome sign.

Her daughter, Carey, a recent graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, said she came craft shopping to accompany her mother.

"But she has kind of gotten me into it. I used to complain a lot, but now I kind of like it," she said.

Arts Council executive director Beverly Strohmeyer said the crowd Saturday was very large.

"It was wall-to-wall people here at 10 a.m.," Strohmeyer said. "We had people lined up around the building. We had to open extra gates there were so many people."

At mid-afternoon, Strohmeyer was still amazed at the number of shoppers coming into the Show Me Center.

"It does seem like we have more people here than in the past. Usually it slows down in the afternoon. But we have people coming by the bus loads. Really we have buses of people unloading.

"It's been a really good turn out for us, and the exhibitors are happy."

Strohmeyer added that many of the shoppers were buying. "There are very few people who don't have things in their hands."