To Peggy Barringer, Riverfest is one of those undeclared holidays that seems to bring families a little closer and allows local artists, artisans and entertainers to show off.

"This year's Riverfest theme is Jammin' on the River, but somehow family always seems to become the biggest reason for the celebration," said Barringer, president of the 1994 festival.

"You look at the people on the Riverfest Board of Directors and all of those on the committees, the volunteers, the local vendors and musicians, and see that family and a commitment to city pride make this thing work as well as it does," said Barringer, who will work her 16th and final Riverfest today and Saturday.

The Riverfest committee moved through what Barringer considers "crisis day" on Wednesday with relatively few problems. "We had a few minor things to deal with, but for the most part everything has gone smoothly," she said.

"A lot of things are already in place, and then on Thursday it begins to get pretty intense," she said. "We look at how much work it takes and kind of stand back each year and wonder how we pulled it off. That's part of the fun of being a part of it."

Barringer said she appreciates the fact that the work by city and county officials goes beyond the call of duty.

"Of course the city is paid for its services, but they do so much more to help us out," said Barringer. "The police department, fire department, sanitation department, parks and recreation, everyone just pitches in and does a little extra to help us through another successful Riverfest. There's no favoritism when it comes to getting paid. We all get the same: nothing. But seriously, what we get out of it probably couldn't be touched by money."

The Riverfest committee has assembled a rich package of entertainment that will swirl around craft booths, carnival rides, Civil War musket firing and scenery, a run and midnight bicycle ramble. Riverfest '94 will officially begin at 3 p.m. Friday and conclude at 11:30 Saturday night.

There is enough Riverfest entertainment to appeal to a wide variety of interests. Headlining musical entertainment on Friday will be Yesterday, a quartet whose impersonations of the Beatles has won the group acclaim across the country.

"The band loves to play here," said Barringer. "They were even willing to take a pay cut to come back." The group will perform at 8:30 p.m. following a concert by the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band.

Just prior to Yesterday taking the stage, the Kohlfeld Riverfest Run will be in full swing. Portions of Main Street and Cape Rock Drive will be closed to through traffic during the run on Friday.

The run is scheduled to get under way at 7:30. The start and finish are at the Boatmen's parking lot at Broadway and Main.

During the Riverfest Run, from 7:30 to approximately 8:30 p.m., Main Street will be closed to through traffic from Broadway north to Cape Rock Drive. Cape Rock Drive will be closed to through traffic from its intersection with North Main east to Cape Rock.

Saturday's phase of Riverfest will begin with a Civil War encampment at the Common Pleas Courthouse Park at 8 a.m. The encampment will be on display form 5-9 p.m. on Friday.

There will also be an American Mountain Man's 1840 fur-trading post with black powder shooting, fire starting, and other activities.

The carnival rides will begin at 3 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday and continue until the conclusion. There will be no bracelets sold this year. "We tried the bracelets, which allowed anyone to get on a ride for as many times as they wanted, but it didn't seem like it worked out that well so we're going back to just charging for each ride," said Barringer.

A strolling musical act titled Steve and Stevie will entertain Riverfest-goers from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Water Street Six, a strolling Dixieland band, will perform from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Water Street Six will also perform from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

"You can't walk anywhere without seeing or hearing some type of Riverfest entertainment," said Barringer.

Patti and the Hitmen, a blues band, will take the main stage on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Bill Barnett Band, which plays country music, will be in the north beer garden from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday night.

Children will be entertained by Tonya Merritt's storytelling at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Other children's activities include turtle races and best-dressed turtle contest at 3 p.m.

From 3 p.m. until sundown Union Electric's Louie the Lightning Bug will be strolling through the children's area.

The Coeur de Terre Brass Band will recreate the nostalgia of turn-of-the-century band concerts. A Cape German band will be in the food tent from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils will take the main stage at 7 p.m. Punctuating Saturday night's entertainment will be a fireworks display at 9 p.m. from a barge on the Mississippi. Then Martina McBride, the headline entertainment for Saturday, will take the main stage at 9:30 p.m.

"Then we'll close out another Riverfest and begin planning for the next one," said Barringer.