LLAMA THE STAR OF CHRISTMAS PARADE

Santa Claus came to town Sunday night, looking a little furrier than usual. And he had four legs.

Actually, it was Patches, a 9-year-old llama from Norris City, Ill., with his front end dressed like Santa Claus in a white beard and bright red suit.

Flanked by two miniature horses, the crowd-pleasing Patches pulled a wagon trimmed in holiday decorations during the 2000 Downtown Christmas Parade of Lights.

"He seems to enjoy parades," said Patches' caretaker, Debbie Harris, as she stroked his neck and patted his head after the parade. "He thinks people come just to see him."

Patches was one of hundreds of entrants who strutted their stuff during Cape Girardeau's annual downtown Christmas parade.

The Parade of Lights was a success again this year, as spectators lined Broadway to watch the more than 100 floats, marching bands, fire trucks, costumed walkers and Santa Claus officially welcome the holiday season to the area.

Kacie Broemmelsack, 10, and her 8-year-old sister, Lindsay, from Cape Girardeau, watched the parade on Main Street in front of Hutson's Fine Furniture. Both girls had just ridden in the parade dressed as angels on the Grace United Methodist float.

Lindsay said she liked all the floats she had seen, but was particularly impressed by "the one with Mr. Scrooge" -- a float entered by Christian Faith Fellowship that depicted scenes from "A Christmas Carol." Video equipment projected scenes from a film version of the movie onto the back of the float.

Hutson's Furniture, 43 S. Main St., entered a float featuring Santa Claus asleep in a recliner with a group of busy elves hard at work at his feet.

An entry from LeeRowan Co. in Jackson featured a float with Santa's workshop and children dressed as reindeers.

Children from the St. Vincent de Paul Grade School band played Christmas carols while being towed along the parade route. Heartland Telephone entered a float with characters from the movie "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and the grand finale was a Downtown Merchants Association float featuring Santa Claus atop a paddlewheel boat.

Jasmine Moore, 11, of Tamms, Ill., walked in the parade alongside a Coca-Cola and Hawaiian-themed holiday float entered by Heartland Care. After finishing the route, she watched the rest of the parade with her family.

But the most popular entry had to be Patches the llama. As he strutted down the parade route, bursts of laughter and applause from crowd followed him.

His owner, Hal Bryant, said this was Patches' debut in the Cape Girardeau parade. Patches will appear in at least a dozen Christmas parades, in addition to being in others throughout the year.

Patches always pulls a wagon, having been broken in to drive about six or seven years ago.

"I broke him in on a dare," Bryant said. "People said it couldn't be done. They said, You can't get a llama to drive.'"

Patches' Santa Claus costume was designed and sewn by Debbie Harris. She said the fabric came from an old crushed velvet bed spread she found at a thrift store.

Harris said it is not difficult to get Patches into the suit.

"Once you figure out the unique design of a llama suit," she said, "you get it down to a science."