Philip George, Spring 2009 Assistant Sports Editor
Southern California may not get very much snow, but that doesn’t stop a Woodland Hills neighborhood, just minutes away from Pierce College, from transforming into a winter wonderland.
Every year, around Christmastime, the four streets of Candy Cane Lane stemming from Oxnard Street just east of Winnetka Avenue, illuminate the valley with its festive decorations and lights of every color.
Children stare out the car windows in awe of the radiance of the sight before them, while others poke their heads through the sunroof singing and spreading the holiday cheer.
“Merry Christmas!” they shout as they pass by.
“I wish people could act like this all year round.,” said visitor Jason Devan, “People seem to be in better spirits, and everyone’s just a lot friendlier to each other. It’s nice to have that feeling.”
The idea for the four decorated streets; Candlelight Lane, Caroler’s Way, Avenue of the Bell and Candy Cane Lane; was conceived around 1949 by a group of neighbors in the area.
Each street was given a different theme, and at the end of the street stood a sign indicating what the theme was.
Since the tradition began, many families view the journey to Candy Cane Lane as a right of passage.
“It’s a tradition,” said frequent visitor Jason Hernandez, “My family has been bringing me here since I was a kid, and it’s kind of cool to pass it on to your own kids.”
Candy Cane Lane has always been an attraction for families with children, but even more so when decorations depicting cartoon characters were introduced in the late 1970s.
“When you stand out here and you listen to the kids yelling for SpongeBob [SquarePants] or Santa on a motorcycle, they love it,” said Tiffany Mortensen, a 22 year veteran of the Candy Cane Lane festivities.
But what exactly does it take to build a display that stands out on Candy Cane Lane?
“The first Christmas, we started off with a couple of modest strings of lights just to try to be a part of the neighborhood,” said Bill Hawley, who moved into the neighborhood 13 years ago and has since put on one of Candy Cane Lane’s most spectacular displays.
Since that first Christmas, the Hawleys have lined their driveway with a small Christmas village containing the local candy cane factory, candy shop, gingerbread house, and church house.
A horse drawn carriage shuttles a snowman through the village while a family of gingerbread men stand outside their house and watch.
A mother duck leads her little ducklings across the lawn over to a well surrounded with butterflies.
An elf trots out of the candy cane factory, a candy cane in his hand, and a smile on his face.
“It’s usually two days to get most of it out, and then my wife spends a lot of time adding another string of lights or fixing something else,” said Hawley.
Once the holiday season is over, residents of Candy Cane Lane must find a spot to store their boxes and piles of decorations.
“I have a shed that is devoted to that,” said Bob Stephenson, “We even installed a 200 amp just for the Christmas lights here.”
Even after all the lights are unplugged, with the reindeer and snowmen no longer residing in the front yard, the Christmas spirit never leaves the four blocks known as Candy Cane Lane.
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