Christmas lights

As we enjoy leftovers from Thanksgiving, it's time to officially start the Christmas season. Many lights and other Christmas decorations are already on display, and a few upcoming events are worth consideration:The 20th annual Parade of Lights, sponsored by Christmas in Old Town Cape, will begin at approximately 5 p.m. Sunday and have about 100 entries, including high school marching bands from Advance, Kelly, Oran and Notre Dame.

The parade, themed "A Picture Perfect Christmas," begins at Capaha Park and ends at Main and Merriwether streets near Hutson's Fine Furniture.

The annual parade is a hallmark event for the Christmas season in Cape Girardeau. Local churches, organizations and individuals do a great job at decorating their entries. Santa Claus, the last entry in the parade, is always a favorite of many spectators.

Grand marshals for the parade this year will be the Hutson family, and the family furniture store is represented in this year's Old Town Cape Christmas ornament. You can purchase the ornament at Old Town Cape or through several other Cape Girardeau merchants.

The Hutson's Fine Furniture holiday window display is also a must-see this time of year. The business' employees do a festive job in preparing the annual display.

The Jackson Jaycee Foundation Christmas parade is set for 2 p.m. Saturday. The parade route will begin near the high school and proceed to Main Street and Farmington Road. About 100 entries are expected. Before the parade, a ceremony honoring soldiers of Pearl Harbor and World War II will be held at 1:45 p.m.

The Cape Girardeau County Park Holiday of Lights display is also open. Started in 1988 with 11 entries, the park will include 211 displays this year. About 30,000 cars take the free driving tour each year. The park display will be open to the public every day until 11:30 p.m. through Dec. 31.

Enjoy the Christmas season.