NATCHEZ — Armed with toothpicks, and appetites for anything that would fit on their pointy wooden ends, hundreds converged on The Markets Food and Lifestyle Show Saturday at the Natchez Convention Center.

The event is hosted as a cross between a promotional product showcase and a customer appreciation day, said Barry Loy, retail operations manager for The Markets.

“It’s fun, it’s clean and it’s a good family activity,” Loy said. “People really enjoy themselves.”

And on Saturday, the first day of the food show, there was no shortage of people enjoying themselves.

At the entrance visitors were greeted by a robotic riverboat captain, inside they had a chance to rub elbows with Miss Chiquita Banana and Tony the Tiger.

If you’ve never been, the food show borders on a surreal experience.

It’s like a living, breathing commercial.

At one booth, 3 oz. samples of neon colored drinks were being passed around, in another, four different types of sausages were displayed in aluminum pans and ready to be eaten.

An aisle or two away a woman was selling an everlasting lint roller, and across the room people were checking out the latest Mazda hatchback on display.

And while all of that was happening a child of about 10 or 11 was giving a karate demonstration on a stage.

Clutching a handful of candy-coated pecans and a pen wrapped in cellophane with one hand, Eva Young filled out a drawing slip to win a $100 gift certificate to Trippe’s Western Auto with the other.

“I just love it,” Young said of all the activity of the food show. “There’s so much to do and see.”

Young, looking toward the karate demonstration, said one of her favorite parts of the food show is actually the ongoing talent show.

Saturday was Young’s second trip to the food show but Debbie Brocato has not missed one yet.

She’s been making the event for 10 years.

“I like to see what’s new,” she said.

Brocato had already purchased a steam iron, from the same woman selling the everlasting lint roller, and jewelry by early afternoon.

And that’s exactly why vendors, like Laura Copeland-Tate, love the food show. Tate’s the buyer for the Bass Pecan Company and said businesses like hers get terrific exposure at events like the food show.

Bass is a Mississippi-based company with one store located in Natchez and on Saturday Tate was giving samples and selling pecans.

Tate said in a matter of hours she had contact with between 200 to 300 shoppers.

“It’s great for us,” she said. “Or any other business.”

While the event is good for businesses, those attending the event seem to get the most pleasure from the show.

Miss Chiquita Banana, Kelly Airhart, accurately summed up the event.

“It’s fun,” she said. “And people really like the samples.”

The food show runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. today.