Three generations of Scott family women walked in a pack through the Blaisdell Center yesterday, their wide eyes sparkling as they stopped to sample exotic foods and try on over-the-top jewelry.

"It's wonderful," Mary Lou Scott exclaimed, her sister, daughter and granddaughter by her side. "They have so many different items."

The fourth annual Hawai'i Woman Expo drew hundreds of women — and a few men — from across the island yesterday. Along with good shopping and food, attendees were treated to free massages, inspirational seminars and a host of samples.

The expo continues today, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5, or $3 for students, members of the military and seniors.

Pat Shine, the expo's organizer, said attendance at the event — along with the number of exhibitors — has been increasing over the past four years. This year, about 160 exhibitors participated.

The event is aimed at bringing together new products and innovations geared toward women, and is modeled after women's expos held on the Mainland, Shine said.

At the center yesterday, women examined purses and fashions, but also stopped to learn about retirement funds, vacation packages and hula lessons. Fitness gurus touted new ways to stay healthy and lose weight. And several nonprofits at the expo, along with the state Commission on the Status of Women, shared their causes.

"There's just about anything a woman would want," Shine said.

Perla Alvarez was showing off her prized cacti at the expo, and getting a lot of compliments and customers. Alvarez, who has been growing plants for sale and show in her Foster Village backyard since 1981, said it's her second year of staffing a booth at the expo.

"I guess it's to get the women to know what's available," she said. "There's all sorts of things here to see."

At a nearby booth, Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children employees talked to women about the importance of staying in shape and mammograms. "We're always here to promote women's health," said Suzanne Allen, a resource coordinator at the hospital. "This is a way of showing women we appreciate them."

Women also packed meeting rooms to listen to speakers talk about spiritual healing and self-improvement.

Today, Cirque Hawai'i is set to perform at noon, followed by a Hawaiian Moon fashion show. The Hawai'i Women's Business Center will hold a roundtable discussion at 11 a.m., while a discussion on socially responsible investing will be held at 1:15 p.m.

For more information on the event, go to www.hawaiiwomanexpo.com.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.