Tonight's downtown open house includes strolling carolers, buggy rides

Terri Lilly made signs of schedules Wednesday for the free pictures with Santa that will be held Friday and later in December at 101 Main St. in Cape Girardeau. [Click to enlarge]

Black Friday had people lined up in the early morning to shop. Cyber Monday had people logging on to purchase gifts during their lunch break. And organizers of today's Downtown Christmas Open House hope to see a crowd of people lingering downtown tonight to pick up a few things.

The annual open house features horse-and-buggy rides, strolling carolers and, of course, pictures with Santa from 6 to 9 p.m. Businesses stay open during that time and some serve holiday treats to seasonal shoppers.

"Generally the riverfront stores are not opened on a Friday night," said Marla Mills, executive director of Old Town Cape, the group that organized the event. "It's a great event for the merchants downtown. It's just a fun way to kick off the Christmas holiday."

Mills said the festive atmosphere and activities help pull people downtown who might not normally shop there. Old Town Cape is again holding a drawing for a $2,000 shopping spree.

Participants get a form, collect stamps from at least 10 businesses on a list of 20 and turn in the form to be entered in the drawing. The money is given in the form of "Downtown Dollars" -- fake bills accepted at the 20 participating businesses. Each business on the list had to pay $200 to participate.

Women with the Bank of Missouri transformed the look at 101 Main St. on Wednesday in preparation for free pictures with Santa today in downtown Cape Girardeau. (Kit Doyle) [Click to enlarge]

"From the business perspective, it costs for them to be involved in the drawing," Mills said, "but it still brings people into the store or restaurant."

'More to put our names out there'

Owners of new businesses are hoping the event does just that.

"For us, right now, it's more to put our name out there to sell stuff," said A.J. Priest, who entered his cafe in the open house.

Priest opened Socials Cafe and Catering on Spanish and Independence streets in April with Allen Findley. The two said people still walk in thinking it is Sidewalk Sandwich Co.

"People have to come in and get that stamp, so it's for more people to know we're here and we're open," Priest said.

Veteran businesses said they also benefit from the extra exposure. Brown's Shoe Fit Co. has been downtown since 1965 and is again staying open late for the open house.

Owner Jason Longwith said the store sees more customers and sells more that night simply as a result of being open the extra three hours. He said not everyone who comes in buys something that night, "but we see them within the next couple of weeks as well."

Brown's also paid the $200 to be included in the shopping spree.

"The lady who won last year spent more than we paid to advertise," Longwith said.

For some businesses on Main Street, though, the end didn't make up for the means. Some are already open those extra hours on Friday and didn't see the dividends of the "Christmas Dollars" given away last year.

"It was just a headache," said Sam Alsmadi, owner of Lewis and Clark Cafe.

Alsmadi said they signed up for the open house last year and people only came in to get the form stamped.

"Nobody bought a single thing," he said.

Alsmadi belongs to Old Town Cape and said he likes the organization, but for his business the open house was too much trouble.

For patrons, Mills said the event is definitely worth it.

"It's an opportunity for people to come down, and it has a little more festive atmosphere," she said. "A lot of people come downtown who haven't been downtown in a long time. ... It gets them in the stores. It gets them down on the riverfront to see what it's like."

A horse and buggy were confirmed Wednesday and will pick up passengers in front of the Billiard Center and bring them for a ride through the riverfront for free. The Downtown Kids Association, a youth affiliate of Old Town Cape, will do arts and crafts with children that night in the old Cape Wiggery Shop at 101 Main St., where Santa will be available for pictures.

The Bank of Missouri sponsored Santa this year and has extended his hours to include two Saturdays: Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon and Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

charris@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246