FAMILIES packed the Rand Show at the Expo Centre in Nasrec, southern Johannesburg, to celebrate the Easter holidays.

FAMILIES packed the Rand Show at the Expo Centre in Nasrec, southern Johannesburg, to celebrate the Easter holidays.

The show offers entertainment galore for young and old, with most shows being free of charge.

Children were spoilt for choice, with more than 20 gaming zones and rides that some adults seemed to enjoy more than the kids.

The wild at heart also had fun with extreme sports that included bike shows and 4x4 track racing.

Ike Tsotetsi of Witbank came with his wife and two children.

"It is incredible," he said. "It has so much to offer. We were not sure of what to take or leave."

But Tsotetsi was disappointed about being made to pay for his six-year-old daughter's entry though she was not supposed to.

"The entry fee is a bit high. I have already spent more than a R1000. They should drop the ticket price by at least 25percent," he said.

Cliff Ramora was disappointed. He said the show had now been turned into a shopping mall.

"Things have to improve or I will not return next year," he said.

He said the show now had very few bargains, unlike in the past. He said everything was "for sale".

Rand Show spokesperson Willem Eksteen said that the attendance figures had been good so far.

"People enjoyed themselves and the weather played along," he said.

Eksteen said, weather permitting, they were optimistic that they would reach the projected 300000 attendance mark.

Eksteen said the exhibition was still packed with free shows for both young and old and would host the world's strongest man contest this week - also for free.