Old Town Cape to host annual downtown holiday events

Old Town Cape is inviting the community to experience the spirit of Christmas in downtown Cape Girardeau once again this year.

The 18th annual Downtown Christmas Open House event will be held Dec. 4 and 5, and the second annual Holiday Bazaar will be held during day two of the Open House.

“It has been so encouraging to see the community rallying around our downtown businesses in support during this challenging year,” Liz Haynes, executive director of Old Town Cape, said in a news release Friday. “In order to provide the community with an opportunity to enjoy a fun winter evening while supporting our downtown businesses, we are thrilled to invite folks to visit downtown Cape once again this year during the Downtown Christmas Open House.”

Old Town Cape asks that visitors wear face coverings if over the age of 9 and respect social-distancing guidelines to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

For more information about Old Town Cape’s holiday events, visit www.downtowncapegirardeau.com/holidays.

18th annual Downtown Christmas Open House

The Downtown Christmas Open House will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5.

The two-day event will feature live caroling, visits from Santa and the Grinch, horse-drawn wagon rides and winter window displays.

There will also be two opportunities to win a $500 downtown Cape Girardeau shopping spree.

According to the Old Town Cape news release, the downtown shopping spree will have digital entries this year to reduce the spread of germs.

Eight posters, each with a unique QR code link to an entry form, will be distributed around downtown Cape Girardeau on both days of the Open House. Participants will be encouraged to find all the posters for a total of eight entries into the shopping-spree drawing.

Second annual Holiday Bazaar

Old Town Cape is bringing back the Holiday Bazaar for a second year from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5.

The Holiday Bazaar will feature vendors offering locally grown, handcrafted and homemade products such as winter produce, baked goods, candies and artisan crafts, according to an Old Town Cape news release.

Vendors will accept holiday baking orders, or orders for customized gifts, as well.

There will also be musical performances by the Steel Drum Band from Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus.

The Holiday Bazaar will be set up in the courtyard area of The Indie House and on Frederick Street from the intersection of Broadway south to the intersection at Themis Street. The section of Frederick Street hosting the market will be closed to vehicle traffic and open to pedestrians.

Old Town Cape will also be hosting a welcome/information booth where visitors can learn more about the organization as well as purchase a downtown holiday ornament.

Vendors wishing to set up at the Holiday Bazaar may find an application at www.downtowncapegirardeau.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Vendor-Application.pdf. According to the news release, space is limited, so vendors should fill out the application as soon as possible and return it to Old Town Cape’s office at 338 Broadway, Suite 401, in downtown Cape Girardeau.