Old Town Cape to host 16th annual Downtown Christmas Open House

Old Town Cape Inc. will present the 16th annual Downtown Christmas Open House on Friday and Saturday with Santa Claus, The Grinch and more than 15 downtown businesses contributing to the start of the holiday-themed, free community event.

�Our overall goal is getting foot traffic in the downtown Cape Girardeau area,� said Emily Vines Old Town Cape events coordinator. �It�s a big register-ringing event as well.�

She also said it�s a great way to support the one-of-a-kind, locally owned downtown businesses.

�Christmas and downtown just brings out the best in people,� Vines said.

With the increased and new foot traffic in downtown, she said, this event also provides businesses a chance to increase clientele and bring in some additional income during the holiday season.

This marks the second year the event has been openly promoted Saturday as part of the open house, Vines said.

�Saturday is very important because I don�t know that people realize they can come back and enter for a chance to win that shopping spree again,� she said. �It gives them a chance to go to all of the participating businesses if they couldn�t squeeze them all in Friday night.�

Johnny Hallemann, 2, and his grandmother Susan Nekula draw a face on a reindeer hat Dec. 1, 2017, during the Downtown Christmas Open House in Cape Girardeau.Southeast Missourian file

This year there are two opportunities for downtown shoppers to win a $500 shopping spree, Vines said.

The giveaway has changed �pretty consistently� over the years, she said, with previous years offering a $1,000 shopping spree or gift basket.

�We got a lot of positive feedback last year from the two $500 downtown shopping sprees and giving people those two days to increase their chances,� Vines said.

Two shopping spree tables will be set up at Saturday�s event: one at Art Van Furniture, 43 S. Main St., and one at Catapult Creative House, 612 Broadway.

�Those are our two picture locations this year, as well,� she said. �All they have to do is stop in from 5 to 9 p.m., pick up a ticket packet and fill out their information on the back of the tickets.�

People cheer on a live mannequin window display Dec. 1, 2017, during the Downtown Christmas Open House in Cape Girardeau.Southeast Missourian file

Each ticket has a participating business listed on it, Vines said, so to enter into the shopping spree, shoppers take the ticket to the corresponding business.

Seventeen downtown businesses will participate this weekend, she said, down slightly from the 22 last year.

�Still more businesses than I was anticipating,� Vines said.

There�s no official way to measure foot traffic, she said, but Vines said she anticipates there will be around 1,500 people attending this weekend � factoring in the 700 people who registered for shopping spree ticket packets last year.

And planning for the event is always in the works, she said.

�Honestly, it takes at least eight months to a year to plan and get everything in place,� she said.

For more information, visit www.downtowncapegirardeau.com.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632