Parade of Lights cancelled due to rain, cold

The holiday Parade of Lights in downtown Cape Girardeau has been cancelled for this evening due to rain and cold weather, organizers said.

The decision to cancel today's parade and reschedule for next Sunday was disappointing, said Marla Mills, executive director of Old Town Cape.

Temperatures in Cape Girardeau have held in the upper 30s all day, with intermittent rain. The National Weather Service forecast calls for additional rain, possibly mixed with snow, for the rest of the day and into the evening.

The parade, scheduled to start at 5 p.m. from Capaha Park, is the annual kick-off event for the holiday season. Similar weather conditions in 2007 also forced postponement, the first in the parade's 17-year history.

More than 100 groups had planned to take part in the parade.