NATCHEZ &045; By 1 p.m. Saturday, crowds at the Markets Area Food, Home and Health Show were so thick you couldn’t stir them with, well, an ice cream spoon.

&uot;I estimate we’ve had about 4,000 people come through here, a lot more than last year,&uot; said Barry Loy, retail operations director for Supermarket Operations, the event’s main organizer and sponsor.

&uot;Every year, the attendance is building, mostly through word of mouth,&uot; Loy added, as families breezed past him and into the cool of the Natchez Convention Center’s main exhibit hall.

The show, now in its fifth year, gives vendors an opportunity to display and give samples of their products directly to the public &045; what many said is one of the most effective types of marketing.

&uot;It gives them a chance to try our product firsthand. It’s great for someone like us, because we’re just getting into the area,&uot; said Ron Jackson, account manager for Kemp’s ice cream, which rented a booth for the first time at this year’s show.

And those who attended the show on Saturday seemed to be a receptive audience for dozens of vendors hawking ice cream, chicken bites, jambalaya and more.

&uot;I always come to see what’s available &045; and to have lunch,&uot; said Gordon Arnold of Vidalia, whose lunch consisted in part of sausage bites.

&uot;But the chicken things are great, too,&uot; said Michelle Singleton of Natchez who, in a couple of strides, made her way across the aisle for a sip of iced tea. This was the third year she had attended the show.

Nearby, a cookware vendor demonstrated to a rapt audience how to cook an entire dinner with his new line of pots, pans and other gadgets.

But not all vendors were selling food-related products &045; health care- and home-related products were also in plentiful supply.

Debra Smith &045; a salesperson for Lasyone Furniture Showroom, a first-time vendor at the show &045; said she was pleased with the response their lines of furniture received at the show.

&uot;I’ve already sold that recliner seven times over,&uot; she said, pointing to an overstuffed leather chair displayed at the Lasyone booth. &uot;Someone will walk away from here with it today.&uot;

The show also includes demonstrations from dance, aerobics, cheerleading, karate and other organizations.

The Markets Area Food, Home and Health Show will continue from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the convention center.