Parade of Lights sure to brighten Sunday-night sky Ninth year

Cape Girardeau's brightest holiday tradition, the Downtown Merchants Association Parade of Lights, will proceed Sunday along Broadway and Main Streets through the downtown area of the city.

The Parade of Lights, a nine-year highlight of the holiday season, will be highlighted by more than 110 cars, walking groups and theme floats and this year will feature a special patriotic salute to America by the DMA.

"We already have 110 units for the parade," said Kent Zickfield, who is serving as parade chairman for a third straight year, earlier this week. "We usually wind up with several more when the alignment gets under way."

"The deadline for 2001 parade entries has passed, but we'll accept entries right up to time for the parade," said Zickfield. "Last year, 17 unannounced entries showed up at Capaha Park."

People start showing up at Capaha Park around noon, said Zickfield, who predicts more than 125 entries for Sunday's big show.

The parade lineup doesn't begin until about 3 p.m. "We start the parade at dusk, or about 5 p.m.," he said.

The parade will proceed east on Broadway, turn right on Main Street and end in front of Hutson's Furniture Store, a distance of about two miles.

Zickfield said the DMA will recognize the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and Cape Girardeau Police Department as co-marshals.

"This could be our biggest year to date," said Zickfield. Parade units have reached the 100 mark the past five years.

"Christmas Traditions" is the theme for this year's event. Entries are judged in six categories.

Sunday's weather forecast, vital to a successful parade, calls for clear skies with temperatures in the high 50s to 60 degrees.

Floats from the Downtown Merchants Association will lead and end the parade. A riverboat float hauling a live Santa Claus will bring up the rear.

"We'll have four marching bands and two bands riding," said Zickfield. Returning will be the Jerry Ford Orchestra, which played on the riverboat float each of the first seven years but missed last year's event.

The Ford group and the Nell Helcomb Band will be riding. Bands from Notre Dame, Delta and Oran will be marching, along with St. Vincent's Junior High Band.

While the Downtown Merchants Association sponsors the parade, a number of other sponsors help with the event, said Zickfield. Producer sponsors are Zimmer Radio Group, KFVS TV 12, Southeast Missourian newspaper, Southeast Missouri Hospital, The Pyramid Group and Horizon Screen Printing.

The seven regular sponsors are Ford Grove Motors, Albertson's, Ameren UE, Port Cape Restaurant, Plaza Motor of St. Louis, Pyramid Nursing Services and Notre Dame Dance Team.

"The parade has become a community event," said Zickfield. "Everybody is involved: churches, schools and businesses."

Entries this year will be coming from a number of communities, including Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Delta and Oran.

The parade, initiated in 1993, was the brainchild of restaurateur Dennis "Doc" Cain, owner of Port Cape Restaurant. A total of 53 entries and about 6,000 people turned out for the first parade. Last year's parade attracted more than 120 entries and a crowd of more than 10,000. Cain was coordinator of the parade through the first six years.

rowen@semissourian.com

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