Holiday of Lights

For some families, a visit to the Holiday of Lights display at Cape Girardeau County Park is as much a part of their holiday traditions as exchanging presents or decorating a Christmas tree.

The park display includes more than 190 exhibits filled with lights and holiday decorations. More than 45,000 cars visit the displays each year, park officials say.

The displays come from churches, civic clubs, businesses and organizations in the community. The lights display is about offering a holiday greeting for most groups.

But there are many reasons people like the holiday displays. Some families create memorials to deceased loved ones through the displays. Businesses like it as a simple means of advertising. The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau says it helps promote tourism and sends a welcome invitation to visit the county.

Though most of us consider the display a regular part of our holiday observances, it hasn't always been that way. The display began in 1987 with just 11 exhibits. Now nearing 200, the number grows each year.

A visit to the display is sure to fill visitors with the holiday spirit. The Holiday of Lights display is open from dusk until 11 p.m. every day until New Year's Eve.