Christmas cheer

You don't have to drive far in Southeast Missouri to see some brilliant holiday light displays.

From Cape County Park North to lights wrapped around porch poles, the holiday season is shining bright across Cape Girardeau County and the surrounding area.

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce again will recognize people for their displays in the annual Holiday of Lights competition. Nominations for the best business and residential displays in the community were judged Tuesday night.

Originality and creativity are always part of the criteria for judging the displays, so bigger isn't always better.

If it were, the new federal courthouse building could easily be a winner. Though the building is not yet complete, construction crews wanted to spread holiday cheer and added 400 feet of sparkling lights to the steel frame.

The lights, including a candy cane and snowflakes, can be seen on two sides of the building at Independence and Frederick streets. Three Christmas tree-styled frames are outlined in lights and can be seen at the northwest corner of the building. In all there are 5,000 lights.

These holiday light displays, whether big or small, are enjoyed by residents and visitors to the city