Guests say they're enjoying the special entertainment, food and shopping in downtown Lexington during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games; downtown vendors say they just wish more people were coming out.

"Business has been relatively good ... for the number of people that are here," said Mary Ann Miller, who was manning the Repicci's Italian Ice booth in the CentrePointe block Thursday afternoon. "We expected more people."

Miller and Lucianne Junker, who was selling T-shirts at another CentrePointe booth, said business downtown was strong last weekend as the Games opened, but then slowed when the weather turned rainy and cooler early this week. Nevertheless, they said many downtown workers are coming to CentrePointe for lunch now that the rain has gone, grabbing food from the various booths, finding benches in the warm sunshine and enjoying the moment. Other folks are coming, too, they said.

"I've talked with people from Germany, Spain, Great Britain, South Africa ... and they all seem to be enjoying being here in Lexington," Miller said. "It's nice to hear that about your town."

Thursday's activities shifted into a higher gait in late afternoon as Spotlight Lexington continued with choral groups Song of the Bluegrass and The Kentuckians Chorus at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza, while Zydeco Bon served up blues and cajun music at Cheapside Park.

Mayor Jim Newberry, who helped introduce Zydeco Bon, said Spotlight Lexington is going well.

"It's been great, period," he said. "There's been a good flow of people from the Cheapside venue to the Courthouse Plaza; traffic has not been an issue; parking has been pretty good. All in all, it has gone about as well as it could have."

Newberry said crowds have been "about what we expected," although he said he thought more people would turn out last weekend.

Many who've been taking in Spotlight Lexington say the city should hold such a downtown event every year. Lexington's Beth Hartkopf, who was having lunch at Centre Pointe on Thursday, said the city should have had some kind of event going on at the CentrePointe block all summer.

"I'd come," she said.

Carol Mercer of Eagle Point, Ore., who traveled 2,700 miles to perform at the Games with her "Dancing Morgan" horses, said she's enjoyed every minute of being in Lexington.

"I really feel like I've been at home; everyone in Kentucky has been so wonderful to us," said Mercer, who was strolling downtown Thursday. "This is the only place in the U.S. where they could have put the World Equestrian Games."

Reach Jim Warren at (859) 231-3255 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3255