Candy Cane Lane tradition shines on, but homeowners could use some help

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Candy Cane Lane has been aglow in Crown Point since 1958, offering a winter wonderland to people looking to get in the holiday spirit.

The tradition shines on, even though one of the most prominent houses stopped decorating for the season. Another homeowner hopes sponsors will step up to preserve the display for future generations, noting that a few of the decorations have gotten a little worn down over the years.

But homeowners on the Holten Ridge cul-de-sac just northwest of downtown continue to decorate with candy canes and Christmas lights, and people continue to flock there to see it.

"We've got quite a few new houses on the block," resident Steve Mitchuson said. "We've got some new displays from four or five new homeowners. Most are participating lightly and expect they'll step it up next year. We're getting a lot of traffic, especially with the weekend trolley tours."



Last winter, homeowner Rachael Rein put a viral post on Facebook expressing concerns about repeated vandalism to the decorations outside her home, the first house on Candy Cane Lane and the one with the landmark sign.


"We’ve had candy canes broken and stolen, and decorations that belong to other homes dumped on our yard," she wrote. "We’re quite sure it’s teenagers in the area that think it’s funny. As they grow up or move away it stops and then as new ones come of age it starts again."

Last year, someone stole all the candy canes on the right side of her property and cut the wires to the evergreen tree just behind the sign.

"We will no longer be decorating outside anymore, nor will we put up the sign. While we love the tradition and enjoy the way the house looks when it’s decorated, it takes a lot of work and we have to do it in the freezing cold," she posted last winter. "It’s also not cheap, decorations burn out, get old and need to be replaced. This year alone we spent quite a bit replacing lights that had gone out — the exact same lights that were cut with a knife or scissors. So we’re done."



Rein, who could not be reached for comment, stopped decorating for Christmas this year but did put the iconic sign out on the corner, letting drivers know to turn south onto Candy Cane Lane.


Homeowners have come and gone from the block since it became a Christmas attraction more than 60 years ago. A few stopped decorating over the years when they got too old, infirm or dispirited to continue. But entire generations of Holton Ridge residents have continued to keep Candy Cane Lane going with little more organization than an annual newsletter.

"I moved in four years ago and people keeping things festive and lighting up for Candy Cane Lane was a selling point," Mitchuson said. "New people who buy in and move to the area know all about it and keep things alive. They're well aware of what they're getting into."


Decorations include a 20-foot-tall Rudolph inflatable, a 40-foot tree and a giant leg lamp from "A Christmas Story." The house at the end of the block with the leg lamp — that was stored in a box marked fragile, it must be Italian — collects donations for food, bedding and toys for the Humane Society of Northwest Indiana.


Homeowners put out wreaths, snowmen and lit-up candy canes that line walkways and front yards.


"A lot of people walk the whole street or stop and take pictures," he said. "A lot of people came here as kids and bring their own families. Or they moved away and come back when they're in town. It's a tradition. It puts people in the Christmas spirit. It feels good to see kids' eyes light up."


Mitchuson knows people who love Christmas displays so much that they rent a bus, crack open a few cold ones and tour Northwest Indiana looking at lights. While more modern displays focus on the shock-and-awe spectacle of synchronized light displays, he said Candy Cane Lane's charm is that it's more nostalgic.

"It's been around since the 1950s," he said. "You can drive through after the family dinner and see a little bit of everything. It's more than a block. It's all-inclusive. The rooftops, the trees – everything's lit up."


The tradition does face some challenges, including that Christmas trees have gotten more expensive and the homeowner who paid to light up the tree and nativity set in the island in the cul-de-sac moved away, homeowner Jeff Hendricks said. The flagpole in the island is starting to show its age and will need to be replaced.



He hopes local business sponsors could help fund such costs, such as for a generator to power the lights on the tree in the cul-de-sac. If someone were to donate a newer flagpole, Candy Cane Lane could put out signage thanking them, giving them an opportunity to advertise to its many visitors every year before Christmas, Hendricks said.

"We take Candy Cane Lane for granted but might need more community involvement, donations and volunteers to keep the tradition alive," he said. "The community's got to come together to keep it alive. I don't want this tradition to die or go by the wayside.


"When you say you live on Candy Cane Lane, people know where it is right away. Candy Cane Lane is a great tradition we want to keep going."


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