KNIGHTDALE - Just after Alvin Cotta and his wife, Melissa's paid gig wrapped up in downtown Raleigh for Town Hall Day, they were at it again, baking for Knightdale's Expo. This time, though, they were making freebies designed to bring in more traffic to the couple's catering business "We Cook for You."

The Cottas were just one of 114 booths at Knightdale's Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Expo on Thursday - when Knightdale High School turned into a marketplace and a free one at that.

Krispee Kreme gave away donuts, Chick-fil-A, spicy chicken sandwiches, Knightdale Seafood and Barbecue, banana pudding, scads of businesses passed on candy, key chains, coffee mugs, pens and toothbrushes and roses all for one reason - to get customers.

"You're trying to sell yourself, and how we can help people," said builder Chad Ray of Olde Heritage Builders, of Zebulon. "I think for anybody who's participating it's finding those few who are interested in what you do and following up with them."

The Cottas were banking on their good will and tasty treats to bring in more customers. While their specialty is Caribbean food (He's a native Puerto Rican, and she's a native of Cuba) they baked cookies and brownies and had plates of cheese and fruits for the tasting on Thursday.

Averyll Washington tried a sample. That's not all she tried Thursday.

"I thought it'd be a good place to come and do some networking and find out what else is going on in Knightdale," said Washington, an insurance agent. Washington said she was pleased to see all the businesses and services aimed at children - track-out camps, the library, Tae Kwon Do.

"I think that's awesome," she said.

Valerie Centola, of Black Belt World, said while Tae Kwon Do is for everyone, it has a special place for children who start lessons at age 3.

The Price family --- Lindsey,19, Julie, 17, Eric, 15, and their mom Laurie came out to sample the food and soak up Knightdale's offerings. Their friend Courtney Lockamy of Angier found out about a new Mexican restaurant in Knightdale - LaFinca, she said.

"We're having a wonderful show," said Knightdale Chamber Executive Director Jennifer Bryan. "We have quite a variety of businesses."

Expo chairman Billy Wilder was enjoying the Expo's finished product as he walked among the booths. It was up to Wilder to secure electricity for the booths that needed it. Wilder said it was the "best looking" Expo he'd seen. The chamber makes extra efforts to help participants put their best face forward, he said.

It holds a workshop on setting up a booth for first-time exhibitors.

ProShred, a shredding service out of Raleigh, parked its truck in front of the high school, courtesy of Crescent State Bank, which paid for their services for businesses without access to shredders.

By mid-afternoon, the company had shredded about 600 pounds of documents, said Steve Cantin, a customer service representative with ProShred. The paper is then recycled.

"They give you a certificate, certifying how many trees you've saved," said Jeff Eddins, community banker at Crescent State Bank. "With identity theft you want to shred everything right now, and they offer a good service."