Parading into the night

After a slight rain delay -- a week's time -- the 16th annual Cape Girardeau Parade of Lights finally beat the weather and rolled through town with floats all aglow.

About a hundred floats, vehicles and groups of people were originally entered in the parade, but only half of them actually followed through Sunday. The parade was rescheduled from its original date of Nov. 25 because of heavy rains. The threat of repeat storms kept many people away, according to Old Town Cape executive director Marla Mills.

"They were just afraid it was going to be raining at the time," she said, "which I understand."

Perryville St. Vincent High School was the only band that marched.

"I looked out at noon, and it looked like a pretty good thunderstorm," Chad Frazee said as he waited for the floats to come down the hill at Broadway and Lorimier Street. "But I looked outside and it wasn't raining so I figured they'd have it."

The Grinch rode along with citizens of Whoville on a float sponsored by Pure Country C106 in the Christmas Parade of Lights Sunday night on Broadway in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

This was Frazee's fifth year to see the parade.

"It's not Macy's," he said, referring to the Thanksgiving Day parade in New York, but added the Cape Girardeau parade was fun nonetheless.

People handed out bags before the parade for viewers to store the candy thrown by float staff. For 7-year-old Hallie Mayfield, the candy was the sweetest part of the night.

"And I like the Santa," she said. Her bag was loaded with Sweet Tarts and Tootsie Rolls by the time half the floats had passed. Her little brother, Calvin, 3, waved at every firefighter as the trucks rolled by while Calvin's twin, Jami, picked up mini candy canes from the sidewalk.

The children's grandparents, Donald and Marlene Mayfield, bring them to the parade every year.

A group with Taekwondo Advantage walked in the Christmas Parade of Lights on Broadway Sunday night.

They drive 45 minutes just to see the lights.

Last year the sidewalks on Main Street where the Mayfields were had crowds of people, they said.

"You had to get here early to get a good spot," Marlene said.

Donald said he has come nearly every year since the parade started.

Last week they didn't even try because of the rain, but they braved the frigid winds brought in by a cold front that just barely pushed rains out of the city.

"There were a few less entries and a few less people watching, but we're just glad we were able to have it," Mills said. "It's always a fun parade."

charris@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246