Candy Cane Lane shining bright for 12th year

For the twelfth year, residents young and old can tour Candy Cane Lane to view 70 homes whose owners have pulled out all the stops with extravagant lights, and various decorations.

“It’s not a little secret anymore. Everyone knows where we are,” long time participant John Sharhon told Kelowna10.

His home is one of many that decked the halls with everything from sleighs and Santas to candy canes and a working Ferris wheel.

Candy Cane Lane begins on Collison Road, and runs up Gramiak and Mary. If you were to look at an overhead map view, it would fittingly be the shape of a candy cane.

Asked why the neighbours continue to come out in force, Sharhon simply said: “It’s Christmas.”

“I think that in itself is enough of a reason to keep doing it,” he said. “It’s a self-rewarding thing that we do for the people. We get just as much out of it as they do. When they’re out here smiling and grinning and laughing, we’re pretty much doing the same but inside.”

With life getting back to normal after the bulk of the pandemic, he expects a solid turnout this year.

“Because of COVID, and we’ve being living under a mask, I think it’s just going to be crazy this year,” Sharhon explained. “The people have been waiting for something to be normal. You can’t get more normal than Christmas lights.”

According to Sharhon, the ideal viewing time is between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. He asks anyone visiting to bring a non-perishable food item for their donation bin.

All the donations will go to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter, Mamas for Mamas, The Salvation Army, Freedom’s Door, and the Spring Valley Elementary school breakfast program.