There’s still the sweet lure of ‘Candy Cane Lane’ Christmas drive-through

What neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley have the best outdoor Christmas decorations and lights to go see, is the question for many during December.

The answer for decades, for those-in-the-know, was “Candy Cane Lane” in Woodland Hills.

The legendary area of streets was a drive-through Christmastime tradition since 1952 with highly-decorated homes and front yards. Some houses in the past had cartoon or movie characters on display. If you were lucky, you may have been serenaded by musically-inclined homeowners and their children performing instrumental versions of Christmas songs live as they stood at the edge of their driveway.

Part of the charm of the neighborhood’s display were the original signs using Christmas-related names and accompanying designs. The signs were then planted on designated street corners: the “real” Candy Cane Lane (Lubao Avenue) plus Caroler’s Way (Penfield Avenue), Candlelight Lane (Oakdale Avenue) and Avenue of the Bells (Jumilla Avenue).

Decorating by the homeowners was, and still is, voluntary. It’s true that the once “storied” area has had its ups-and-downs in terms of displays over the years (for a variety of reasons).

But there’s something about that name “Candy Cane Lane” that still lures people who traveled through those streets driven by their parents or later with friends.

They hope to see Christmas lights and other decorations on the group of streets off Oxnard Street (east of Winnetka Avenue and west of Corbin Avenue, bordered to the south by Martha Street, next to the 101 Freeway). But just like unwrapped presents, you never know unless you go.

Drivers move through the neighborhood at a very slow speed, and with dimmed headlights, to take in the decorations. Even though the tradition was to drive through the area, some visitors now walk the route (however parking in the surrounding area is a challenge).

Residents ask visitors to respect homeowners by not driving by after 10 p.m. on weeknights or after 11 p.m. on weekends (and, in any case, homeowners who participate turn off the lights). In addition, please don’t spoil the neighborhood’s goodwill by littering.