Holiday of Lights kicks off Thanksgiving eve

The Holiday of Lights display at Cape Girardeau County Park North will be lit up at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22. The display has been a continual holiday tradition since 1987.

That first year featured 11 light displays. Cape Girardeau County park superintendent Bryan Sander said this year's display will feature 58.

Sander assigns locations for the displays. Each one must incorporate a winter holiday theme, not include paper or cardboard and feature no commercialization. Any sign featuring the name of a person or organization must be at most 12 inches by 18 inches.

"A memorial, 'In loving memory of', display is allowed as long as they follow the holiday theme," Sander said. "They all have to follow the Christmas theme -- whether it's a business or memorial, it doesn't matter."

Displays could be installed up to 10 days before Thanksgiving.

"Everything is the same price, it's $100 (to install a display)," Sander said. "Now, if you had your display last year and we stored it for you and put it up or are taking it back down, it's $250."