PG gets ready for annual Candy Cane Lane

An annual holiday tradition in Pacific Grove is almost ready to kick off to the delight of kids and families.

Candy Cane Lane is where a neighborhood in the area of Forest and Beaumont Avenues in the city decorates their homes with Christmas lights for all to enjoy.

The Pottharst family has been living there for 11 years, and they have decorated for the event every single year.

“We actually add stuff and we started with Caillou, Hello Kitty. The first one was SpongeBob, then came Patrick,” said Doug Pottharst, referring to his decorations.

The family tells KION Tweety Bird from the Looney Tunes is making a debut on Saturday. It is just one of the many, many lights and blowups people get to see at Candy Cane Lane.

The Pottharsts say they want to carry on the tradition inherited from their grandparents and parents. And if you have been doing it for a while, the set up is quicker.

“It actually only took, this time, about one day to set up. So I spent Sunday and it took about six hours,” said Pottharst.

“Probably my favorite is the big soldier man. When we were little, my brother and I were actually scared of it, so it’s kind of funny coming back bringing our kids,” said Ryann Williams, another Pacific Grove resident.

Williams and her family took a preview stroll down Candy Cane Lane on Friday. She says she is excited to see the tradition keep going.

“My family, as well as maybe four or five other groups of families, we’d have a big family dinner at one of the houses in Pacific Grove,” she said. “And then come down here afterwards and we’d all walk around, get hot chocolate. So I’ve been coming here for over 30 years.”

All that foot traffic is sure to make a lot of traffic in general. Expect slow cars and lots of walkers in the area. Police say no roads will be blocked, but there will be patrols.

“Be aware of the speed limit and your surroundings because we’ll have young children and people walking around and it’s dark,” said Orlando Perez, a sergeant with the Pacific Grove Police Department.

“It’s a great tradition. That’s all it is. It’s tradition after tradition with this town,” said Pottharst.

If you are looking to enjoy Candy Cane Lane, it starts on Saturday till the end of December. Head over to Forest and Beaumont Avenues in Pacific Grove as a starting point.