APPLICATION DEADLINE FRIDAY FOR HOLIDAY OF LIGHTS CONTEST IN CITY

If you drape your house or yard with Christmas lights, plant reindeer and sleighs in your now-defunct flower bed, and wrap your mailbox in ribbons and bells, then you may want to consider entering your house in a city-wide decoration contest.

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee is seeking entries in the second annual Holiday of Lights competition.

Individuals, businesses and neighborhoods are encouraged to enter by filling out and returning applications to the chamber of commerce building at 602 N. Kingshighway by Friday evening.

The entries will then be judged by a panel put together by the chamber from 6-9:30 p.m. on Monday. Those participating must keep their lights on for the entire 3 hours.

"We're looking forward to a lot of people participating this year," said Mary Spell, chairman of the beautification committee.

Spell said that nearly 100 entries were judged last year.

The city has been divided into seven sectors for the contest, and three winners will be selected from each sector. Some of those winners will be featured on the city bus tour, said Spell. All homes must be within the city limits.

Multi-colored lights, wreaths and lawn decorations add to the festivity of the season - with or without snow - giving a warm sense of Christmas to passerbys.

To share the splendor and brilliance of as many of the entries as possible, the committee will sponsor bus tours throughout the city to view the best lighted neighborhoods and winning homes.

"We'll notify the people before the tour - to ask them if they want to be on the tour route," said Spell.

Buses will leave the Plaza Galleria at intervals from 7-8:30 p.m. on Dec. 10-12. Tickets cost $1 per person and may be purchased in advance at Schnucks Dec. 7-9, or at The Fantasticks on the days of the tour.

Before the buses return to the Plaza Galleria, they will take a slight detour through the Cape Girardeau County Park, giving those on the tour a glimpse of the festive lights around the lakes and trees in the park.

A map will also be published in the Southeast Missourian after the judging for those who want to take a self-guided drive through the area.

The Holiday of Lights contest is being sponsored this year by the chamber of commerce, Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts.

"It's really a lot of fun," said Spell.