ALL ABOARD: RIVERBOAT CRUISES AT RIVERFEST ARE QUICKLY SELLING OUT; GIRLS PREPARE FOR PAIR OF PAGEANTS

The hottest ticket in Cape Girardeau this month may be one to ride the riverboat at this year's Riverfest.

Riverboat rides, one of the most popular attractions at the annual celebration, are already selling out. The event is slated June 12-13.

Last year was the first time the riverboat Spirit of St. Charles made an appearance at the downtown festival. Riverfest organizer Greg Talbut said tickets to the excursions are best bought in advance.

"What happened last year is people would wait until the day they wanted to ride to buy tickets, and most of the time, the rides were already sold out," Talbut said.

The Spirit of St. Charles is the only riverboat that offers rides to dock in Cape Girardeau this year. Annual stops by the Delta Queen and the Mississippi Queen have been canceled.

More excursions will be offered this year than last year. The riverboat will arrive at the Cape Girardeau riverfront about 5 p.m. June 11. Fifteen one-hour cruises are scheduled during the Friday and Saturday of Riverfest. Four additional cruises are scheduled for Sunday, June 14.

One of the longer cruises, a seven-hour excursion June 11 from Ste. Genevieve, is sold out. A second seven-hour cruise from Cape Girardeau to Wittenberg is scheduled Monday, June 15. Tickets for that cruise are still available.

Talbut said he hopes the riverboat rides become a permanent feature of Riverfest, which is now in its 14th year.

"It's a great addition to the whole Riverfest program, which is family-oriented activities that can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want them to be," he said.

"A family could come down and not spend anything and still have a good time."

One new event this year is the Little Miss Riverfest competition. Seven 5-year-old girls are registered to vie for the title. On Sunday, the girls, along with 19 Riverfest Queen contestants, met for the first time to rehearse the pageant's dance production.

Sarah King, 18, of Morley, said she's entered the contest for three years, and each time she competes, she said she gains confidence. Last year, she was fourth runner-up.

"You get experience in speaking in front of crowds, plus you meet a lot of people," said the Scott County Central student.

But it's not just winning that's important, she said, even though prizes include $100 and $500 savings bonds.

"I think it's more about meeting a goal that you set of competing and doing well. If you reach that goal, that's better than the crown," she said.

Most of the contestants were having pageant photographs taken Sunday. They were also learning how to score points with the judges for poise and speaking ability.

LuAnn Domek, a former Miss St. Louis, coached the future contestants on what they are expected to do in the pageant. Her helper was 7-year-old Rachel Fisher of Jackson, who holds the title of Miss Petite U.S.A., a national title.

Rachel's role was to coach the 5-year-olds. She said her favorite part of the pageants was modeling clothes, which is what the little girls will be primarily judged on.

"But I like everything about it," she said.

Rachel's mother, Kim Fisher, said her daughter is an old hand at pageants.

"She's been doing this since she was 3," she said. "She's never been shy or afraid to be in public. In fact, we're going to California to compete in August."

The pageant, in its fifth year, will be held June 12.

Bonnie McCullough, one of the pageant organizers, said girls from Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois are registered to compete. The only requirement is that they be students in high school, she said.

"Some of the girls have been involved in other local pageants and school competitions," McCullough said. "But we tell them that doesn't matter. It won't be announced."

Talbut said Riverfest continues to draw larger crowds each year. Last year, about 60,000 people attended the festival over the two days.

"It's been interwoven into the fabric of the community," he said. "For a lot of people it's an annual thing. You come down to the riverfront each year and see people you maybe haven't seen since Riverfest the year before."

The festival includes working crafts and free musical entertainment. On June 12, the mainstage entertainment will be the South Carolina-based country band Dixiana. It's the band's first appearance at Riverfest.

"Yesterday, The Beatles," a group of Beatles impersonators, will be the headline act June 13. The group was a hit last year, Talbut said.

There are also lots of day-time activities for kids, including turtle races, chalk drawing and a children's parade, which has a safety theme this year. The parade will be held June 13 at 9 a.m.

"I think the children's parade is another new idea that the kids will really enjoy," Talbut said. "There will be several cartoon characters in it, that will be especially fun."

Admission to the grounds is free. Tickets for riverboat rides are available at Capital Bank's main location in Cape Girardeau and Jackson and through the Show Me Center box office.