ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE OF LIGHTS NOV. 27

The second annual Christmas Parade of Lights will be held Nov. 27 at 5 p.m.

The parade will begin at Capaha Park and proceed down Broadway, turn right on Main Street and finish at the pavilion across from Hutson Furniture Co.

Parade sponsors are the Downtown Merchants Association and Fox 23 KBSI-TV.

Last year's parade sparked a lot of public interest, parade co-chairman Dennis "Doc" Cain said. "We anticipate we had about 6,000 people down here to watch this parade."

Cain said the evening parade is unique in Cape Girardeau because it features lighted floats.

Also, merchants along the parade route are encouraged to decorate their windows with Christmas lights.

"The parade route was lit up like you have never seen it before in Cape Girardeau," Cain said of last year's event.

"There are a lot of people home for the holidays," he said. "We think it is a great way to kick off the Christmas season."

This year's parade may have as many as 70 units, including floats, cars and "walking entries."

The parade will feature a single Santa Claus. Co-Chairman Steve Engles said last year's parade featured seven Santas, which confused children viewing the parade.

This year, the solitary Santa will ride on the Downtown Merchants Association float.

Persons interested in participating in the parade should call Cain at 334-0954, or write to him at Port Cape Girardeau, P.O. Box 1299, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-1299.