A competition among local grocery baggers kicked off this year’s Natchez Food, Home and Health Show Saturday with a race to test their speed and ability. The second annual food and home show also featured a little something for everyone from free food and drinks and prize drawings to live entertainment and demonstrations.

In the &uot;Best Bagger&uot; competition, competitors are judged on speed, proper bag building technique, distribution of weight between bags and style, attitude and appearance.

Will Pollard of Natchez Piggly Wiggly came in second behind Chad Longino of Oakdale Market. &uot;The competition was pretty stiff,&uot; Pollard said.&160;

Pollard won the Piggly Wiggly competition earlier this year to be entered in the Food, Home and Health Show. He will now head to Baton Rouge for another round. &uot;All I can say is I need to practice more,&uot; he said.

&uot;We are pleased with the turnout, which looks like it will exceed last year’s 12,000 attendees,&uot; said Del Loy of the Natchez Markets and Piggly Wiggly, who are co-sponsoring the event.

The community center was filled to capacity with booths of all types, but some people thought the show needed a little more room to breathe.

&uot;Last year we had more space at the Convention Center,&uot; said Herbert Wallace of the Pepsi booth.

&uot;I think once they get the new convention center built this event will triple in size,&uot; said David Hunt of Armor Swift Eckerich (Butterball). &uot;Then there will be much more room for vendors from the Natchez, Vidalia and Ferriday areas.&uot;

Heather Christian, a 2000 graduate of Cathedral High School, was manning a booth of a different type for the exposition. Christian has recently been accepted to New York University’s Performing Arts School and is selling her paintings photography and writings to help defer her costs as a musical theater major.

&uot;I jumped at the chance to have a booth,&uot; she said.

This year’s Food, Home and Health Show continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

&uot;So far so good,&uot; said Orshay Seals of the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau. &uot;It’s a great crowd.&uot;