Season for lights

Cape Girardeau has developed quite a tradition involving holiday lights. Anyone wanting to see lighting displays or put up a display will find plenty of opportunities.

The three big holiday lighting displays are the Holiday of Lights at the Cape Girardeau County Park North, the Christmas Parade of Lights and the Holiday of Lights contest.

There is something magical about lights that make the longer nights sparkle at this time of the year. Many residents leave home before the sun is up and leave their workplaces after the sun has set, which means that anyone who works primarily indoors doesn't have much opportunity to enjoy the daylight hours except on weekends. Holiday lighting can't replace a bright, sunny day, but the strands of special lights add a note of cheer when the sun is shining elsewhere in the world.

There will be approximately 200 displays at the County Park North this year, a 16-year tradition that brings the thoughts and messages of the season into view with the help of decorative displays put up by clubs, organizations and churches.

The traffic pattern is a bit different this year, thanks to the park's new entrance off Kingshighway across from Memorial Park Cemetery. The new entrance has been built to accommodate the construction of the Missouri Department of Conservation's nature center. In addition, the alignment with the entrance to the cemetery across Kingshighway is designed to improve safety for motorists.

Because of the construction at the park, there was no opening ceremony this year for the displays. But the drive through the park is still a stunning nighttime excursion.

On Sunday, the ninth annual Christmas Parade of Lights will fill Broadway from Capaha Park all the way to the downtown area. The parade will start at dusk. The theme is "Home for the Holidays." As usual, the floats will be decked out with lights, and many will feature music and special displays.

The Parade of Lights has become a big event for youngsters who always enjoy the hubbub of the event, but a lot of grown-ups -- parents and grandparents included -- get a good dose of the festive mood as well.

The Holiday of Lights contest sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce is an opportunity to show off your decorating skills with special decorations where you live and where you work.

The chamber will judge the best exterior decorations in time to produce a self-guided tour map several days before Christmas. A drive around town when all the decorations are in place is an opportunity to see how creative our neighbors can be with the help of some well-placed lights -- sometimes thousands and thousands of them.