Candy Cane Lane

Lights! Cameras! Music! Moving objects! Peace signs in different languages! The holidays in Seattle wouldn’t be complete without a jaunt over to University Park to visit the venerable Candy Cane Lane. A Seattle institution since 1949, Candy Cane Lane (otherwise known as NE Park Road, just off the main drag of Ravenna Blvd at the cross street of 21st Ave NE just north of U Village) is actually a curved row of 23 adorably decorated houses – mostly 1920s-era Tudors that are so sweet they look like you could have plucked them right off a gingerbread house display. Expect to see: Sleighs, reindeer, blow up candy canes, mechanical decorations ‘round the traffic circle, and traffic back-ups. Decorations usually share a theme (past events have centered on holiday classics such as the Nutcracker) and now there’s a multi-cultural approach with the charming ‘peace’ ornamentation. Not-so-charming: Someone stole the Grinch last year, so look for his replacement. A real, live Santa is also known to make surprise appearances, passing out – what else –candy canes.