Cars slowly creep forward, families line the sidewalks, and Christmas music blasts in the background while 1920s era Tudor style houses light up with over the top Christmas decorations. Candy Cane Lane, a one-block stretch of houses including a round about, is located on N.E. Park Road, right off of Ravenna Boulevard just a few blocks away from the U Village. Beginning in 1949, the inhabitants of the 23 houses on this street have put on a Christmas decoration show each year in December.
Each house front on Candy Cane Lane is adorned with an array of Christmas lights, blow up Santas or reindeer, signs that say peace in different languages, and of course oversized candy canes. In the center of the round about, a spinning carousel that circles around a holly bush tops off the spectacle.
Because of the huge display and amount of work that goes into setting up for this event, houses are sold with their Christmas Decorations. In the summer, house owners host garage sales to fund the massive electricity bill.
On a day in early December, all the neighbors on Candy Cane Lane set up their display together, creating a friendly and loving neighborhood bond. Although living on such a special block may seem to be intimidating and to require a lot of hard work, Marsha Miller, a Candy Cane Lane dweller, said “It’s exciting and fun knowing that we are doing something that anyone can enjoy.”
Candy Cane Lane is set up and running at 4 P.M. though 11 P.M. (it goes through midnight on Christmas Eve and Christmas day) every day starting December 5th through January 1st. Some choose to drive through to see the houses and their displays, but others choose to walk around to fully take in the experience.
Candy Cane Lane is the result of a longstanding holiday tradition that draws crowds to the small Ravenna neighborhood.
There is no price to see it, but there is a canned food drive that is set up at the end of the block for viewers to donate as they please. Students from prep enjoy going to get into the Christmas spirit each year. Junior, Maddy Marquart said, “My favorite holiday is Christmas. I spend my whole year preparing and waiting for Christmas every year. I go at the beginning of December to Candy Cane Lane to show the start of the best month of the year!”
The Candy Cane Lane tradition had been going on for decades and has grown each year, so be sure to go check it out this December.