Today is 2024... but 75 years ago, this neighborhood put up decor and invited the general public to visit. It's still happening. It's a yearly tradition that started near the end of WW2, during a time when there were blackouts to prevent bombing targets at night. Back then, residents put up "Candycanes" which were 4in stove pipes shaped as candy canes, dressed up in the red and white; as a way to keep the Christmas tradition celebration going. Today, it's still going, and it's short, just about 3 city blocks, but each house has a "Peace" sign in various world languages, to celebrate just that. Tip, park nearby, then walk to the western "entrance" then do the loop. If you are lucky, a resident might have hot cocoa for you. It's not an event, but rather residents getting together to doing something for visitors. It's free, so don't expect professional level lighting, but just enjoy a unique part of Seattle life. read more

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Candy Cane Lane is a yearly tradition where a bunch of houses in a small street will have Christmas lights that you can drive through. To get here, go through the narrow streets in the Ravenna neighborhood and you'll see signs for the entry point. You can drive through the street to take some pictures or you can find parking and walk around the houses. It's a nice little festivity that gets you in the holiday spirit. read more

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We went to opening night for Candy Cane Lane for 2020. We weren't expecting too much and were pleasantly surprised that the drive from Bellevue and into the lane was easily accessible. No huge waits. You can also park nearby and walk through. I like that everyone's house participated in this tradition (unlike what other reviewers said of last years) and they made an effort to be involved. We were able to go through twice. The drive thru only lasts less than 5 minutes. The decorations were perfect for a 2 year old but if you're looking for something to please and dazzle the older kids, this isn't it. If you're driving from a far away distance, this probably isn't the greatest event given the drive time and comparative reward aspect. If we are still living in Bellevue next year, our family will definitely come back. read more

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Came here last night to see some Christmas Lights with my friends after reading great reviews online. Located in Ravena near the University of Washington, I was surprised by how many houses participated in the festive lights display. On the Facebook page, I was informed that it would be a one way drive through with the option of a one-way foot-path to see the lights closer, in person. Since it was relatively chilly during the nighttime, I decided to do the drive by option. Upon entering the path, there are visible signs guiding you towards the one-way entrance. The lights were pretty neat to see and some houses had Christmas music playing that could be heard if you rolled down your car windows. The street was very small and crowded since some visitors parked their cars to take the walking route. Interestingly, each house had a sign with the word "Peace" written in different languages. At the center of Candy Cane Lane was a rotating festive display that had lights and decorations to see. The organisers of this did a good job of making it known that it was a one way street with a small center roundabout. At the end of the street at the exit are several red and white-stripped bins for food donations. Overall, I think this is a great place to bring your family and kids to see some Christmas Lights! read more

It's a small cul de sac with about 2/3 of the homes participating in a lighted Christmas spectacle of sorts. Drive or walk through, but don't expect to be dazzled. The decorations are mediocre at best, and the street quiet, but crowded as cars amble their way through the 1/4 mile of semi-decorated houses. It's a sweet idea, and wonderful if you live up the road and can walk over on a crisp evening, but if you are planning a trip from across the city, or even a mile away, perhaps set your sights higher and look for something else. read more

Candy Cane Lane - Local Services Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It was a couple of houses, two blocks at the most? It looks like all the houses had the same decoration given to them. Not really anything amazing, but there was a home made merry go round in the middle of the neighborhood that was impressive. Still cute idea to check out since it's outdoors and safe during covid. read more

Candy Cane Lane - Local Services Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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For an unincorporated totally free holiday lane I don't know why people are giving this cute little neighborhood bad reviews. If you don't want to wait in a little line of cars, you can walk. If you are a Scrooge then this is not going to warm your heart. If you are a lover of all things Christmas, however, you will find this Candy Cane Lane charming and a throwback to an era when things were simple and people came together in December to light their trees and outside decor to bring smiles to anyone passing by. This is not a high tech Bellevue money kind of holiday lane - it is a vintage sight for sure, and much appreciated! I am so glad they still do this for all those who may not be able to decorate where they live or whatever the case may be. read more

This Yuletide Lane never gets old! Each year, regardless of all other going's on, these folks bring it tough with plenty of lights, lots of Christmas cheer and signage that reminds you of how to say Peace (at least that was this years word) in a dozen or so languages. It's very impressive that every house on the block participates, though it's probably written into the neighborhood covenants. And plus, who wants to be the Scrooge-esk tool that doesn't decorate their house for the season - The grinch that's who! Despite all signs that say otherwise, I believe he'd be unwelcome to live here! As luck would have it however, he doesn't live here, but like all who appreciate colorful lights and a gigantic spinning ornament in the middle of the traffic circle, he would be welcome to check it out. It's located down the hill from the Greek system and just off the UW campus and U Village. It takes all of 90 seconds to drive by and will bring some Christmas cheer to the staunchest Ebineezer! Worth checking out, year after year! read more

My 3 year-old grandson was in town so we decided to check out Candy Cane Lane on 12/22 at around 5 pm. It's been over 10 years since our last visit. As expected, it was congested with cars lined up. Our grandson fell asleep so we tried to wake him up to no avail. While a few homes were decked out, the majority had ho-hum standard roofline and net lighting on shrubs. I was not bedazzled at all. To me, the Lane has lost its luster. The drive-through lasted less than 5 minutes. I agree with others that if you live nearby, then it might be fine to visit. Driving 40 minutes from the north end to see it was not worth it. read more

It was a fun drive by, I would recommend to walk, however we weren't bundle up enough for the cold weather. The houses looked really nice and it was nice to see them collecting food for the needy. Great activity to do if in town. read more

Candy Cane Lane - Home decor bring food donations - Local Services Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Quaint little neighborhood drive for Holiday lights. Tight and windy but fun. Loved the neighborhood theme of Peace in many languages!

The best thing about this experience was how close we found a parking spot. The carousel at the beginning made us really excited to see the rest of the street, but we were pretty disappointed. Some of the houses didn't even have lights on them. I would not come back. read more

This street has more festivity than all of Seattle combined! I am always on the lookout for free activities you can do to help get in the holiday spirit and this group of dedicated neighbors never lets us down! Traffic can get a bit heavy in the week leading up to Christmas so I definitely recommend going before then. I also recommend leaving donations at the end. A holiday must! read more

Why is Candy Cane Lane only getting an average of 3 stars? This place is so BEAUTIFUL, and the best part is that it's FREE! Contrary to what people have said, the address on Yelp is actually pretty correct. I looked up an alternate address on a third party website and it took me to exactly where Candy Cane Lane is. In a nutshell, Candy Cane Lane is comprised of two streets connected by roundabout circle. There are thus two entrances that you can come in by. The lane is accessible by both car and on foot, however I recommend traveling there by foot since you don't have to worry about driving in front of someone. Overall when I stopped by (December 2016 right after Christmas), all the houses were beautifully decorated. Each house had its own set of bright lights and inside the roundabout there's also a spinning contraption with Santa Clauses! If you are in Seattle during the winter, I highly recommend checking out Candy Cane Lane. It's a 15 minute walk from campus and there's perfect for a date. There's nothing to lose right? Have fun and prosper, read more

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Want something free to do during the holiday season? There's the Menashe house in West Seattle or you can check out Candy Cane Lane in the Ravenna neighbourhood of Seattle. Starting around December 15th, the area is festooned with holiday cheer! Folks in this small cul-de-sac have been decorating since the 40s with lights, sleighs, reindeer, and all manner of holiday adornment. There's a carousel in the centre of the houses on the traffic circle and some of the houses wish you tidings of the seasons in different languages. Bring patience with you. As it moves closer to the holiday proper, the traffic starts to build and people get grumpy. If you want to take your time, park a couple blocks over and walk in. And if you go early enough in the evening, kids might be there handing out candy canes or if you're very lucky, Santa Claus himself! It's worth mentioning that at the end of the route, there is a collection point for canned goods. Think ahead and bring some with you for those less fortunate. read more

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One house let you control all it's decorations, lights, music, hot cocoa machine, and even snow (!) with just your voice using an Amazon Echo. It was really fun. (Video of it here http://youtu.be/u5Il50S2MCc ) The rest of the neighborhood does a good job creating cohesion with signs in every yard reading "peace" in different languages and a central spinning carousel of holiday messages. It's small but charming and will bring a smile to any kid's face. read more

Candy Cane Lane - This house let you control it's decorations - lights, hot cocoa machine, snow - with your voice (http://youtu.be/u5Il50S2MCc) - Local Services Near Me - Seattle, Washington

These other reviews are nuts. Its a tradition on this street since 1949 and they put on good show. Also, FREE!!!!!! I attached a photo for exactly where the street is, the yelp map is incorrect. read more

Candy Cane Lane - Location - Local Services Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love how people are complaining about a free light display that they willingly went to. How rude and selfish. Candy cane lane rules, and it's free. It is a yearly tradition and no matter if 5 or 15 homes have lights we love it!! read more

Really cute area to drive or walk around during the holiday season. We grabbed some hot cocoa and ventures around trying to guess the different languages on each "peace" sign read more

Candy Cane Lane is a nice little cul de sac of houses with some cute decorations but nothing very eye catching or unique. If you live in the area, sure come check it out but otherwise it isn't worth going that far out of your way. The idea is nice and I'm sure children love it but I prefer driving around fancy neighborhoods to look at their Christmas lights setup. I hate to sound like the Grinch in this review but I'm just trying to be honest. Your in for a 15-20 minute festive experience that will put a smile on your face but nothing much more. read more

Very cute street with lots of lights and ornate decorations. I'm impressed with how all the houses are tied together with little candy canes and signs. There are a few houses that didn't seem to join the rest of the street with decorations and I've seen houses in Seattle with more lights. Either way, I'd recommend anyone (family, couple, friends or lone wolves) to drive through before the holidays are over. Plus, if you need a little extra sparkle, drive over to University Village and look at all the pretty lights there. read more

Disappointing! Most houses 1/2 decorated. With all the rant raving about Candy cane lane I expected so much more. No worth the drive or the wait. read more

Um .. Not as much effort in this new neighborhood .. :( . I love the kids outside with the glow in the dark hoopla hoops though ! However I was expecting to come in the neighborhood to be blinded by jolly lights and decor . Maybe one or two houses were good but for the more part I wasn't impressed read more

I have been in Seattle for 2 winters now, and during both of them I visited candy cane lane. It's a cute little area that goes all out. It gets busy and you can drive or walk the area. We always drive. Yes it gets busy, but grab a hot cocoa for the drive, and chill out. If you are looking for something larger, I would try Olympic Manor, but overall I think it's worth it for the kiddos if you are in the area. I wouldn't recommend driving in from out of town to see it. I would hate to live on this street because I assume it's a nightmare all December getting into and out of your house. So mad props to all the residents for their patience and love of spreading Christmas cheer! read more

If you want to check out some Christmas lights but don't want to drive all the way outside the city I suggest Candy Cane Lane. Every year the residents of this street in the Ravenna neighborhood decorate their houses and lawns and open it up for all visitors to see. If you live close be sure to walk as traffic can get backed up on the few nights leading up to Christmas. To me this is the definition of having a neighborhood feel in Seattle and one of those things you don't get if you live downtown. read more

You have to be insane to complain about this lane! Have been coming since I was a child. Such a great rare tradition. Very thankful for those who work so hard to delight the public. read more

We went here with the grand kids on Saturday Evening, Dec. 16, 2017 at 5:20pm. . . . . We were all disappointed. The displays were not what they should be at all, and the worst part was there were seven(7) houses that were dark(DARK) ! - - REALLY ? ? ? On Dec 16th, a Saturday evening ?? Yes, dark ! ! We were all miffed, disappointed, and will never go back. What a ridiculous farce !! read more

This year was my 2nd time driving around Candy Cane Lane. I still really like this precious little neighborhood all decorated with lights and I like that it is an easy drive thru to get in the Christmas spririt. I felt like the lights were not as grand this year but they were still bright and cheery. Fun little activity for kids or adults. read more

While it may be a trip down memory lane for some and the carousel in the neighborhood circle is cool, the 70 minute wait was not. Overall, the Christmas lights were average unless nostalgia is really important. Instead, head over to Olympic Manor off NW 85th St. Lots more lights and no lines to wait in. When you do wait at least you can look at all the awesome displays while you do. read more

Not nearly as good as it was the first time I went down this street. It has been here since 1949 thinking they need to bring it up a notch. Especially since it was a good 10 min to even get into neighborhood. Not much more than your standard lights poorly hung. They did have buckets for a food collection. So that was good. But I don't think they'll win any awards for holiday house decorating read more

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Highly disappointed, drive all the way from tumwater wa just to see only one house with their lights on. All my brother in law has ever talked about how beautiful only to be disappointed myself. read more

We were there with our grandkids last night at 4:45 and no lights were on ? Why? we stayed until 5:15 and still no lights so disappointing.

Nice vibe /great lights /good thing its a drive though ,you don't have to get out the car

I was definitely not impressed. Everyone talks about it, even hear it on the radio, so thought i would come and see what all the hype was about. Very disappointed. There wasn't too much effort from the neighborhood. We got out of out car to walk the block, thinking it would be worth it. Not at all. Not worth my drive up there either. We went to other neighborhoods shortly, and those were even more impressive than candy cane lane. Not worth my time here. read more

Made the trip from Puyallup and while there was a couple cute homes, overall the street was lackluster in holiday spirit. Glad I went once but probably won't return since it was an hour drive. read more

The address posted by Yelp is incorrect. I was lucky enough to live in Candy Cane Lane for years as a kid in the 60's and 70's. It is a dedicated neighborhood that invests hundreds of man hours annually to make a difference in the holidays. The food drive is a contemporary bonus. Candy Cane Lane is located next to Ravenna Park. The entrance is on 21st Ave NE and Ravenna Blvd. There is a quaint little mom & pop grocery right across the street that is the size of a small garage. That has been a neighborhood icon for decades. This little neighborhood is steeped in tradition. The home I grew up in is 2012 NE Ravenna Blvd. Get into the holiday spirit. Ravenna Blvd is a fun short drive in itself. read more

Not many of the houses participated. I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because the houses themselves were lovely. Very uneventful. Yawn.

I had seen reviews for years and always wanted to make the trip but live pretty far but I finally made the time this year. backed up my kids and went.. If I could put no stars I would or negative stars. Just a waste of time and huge let down. It is literally maybe a half a block and some houses had maybe 1 stand of lights. Once I got to the end I looked at my husband and he just giggled and said he was sorry that was it. My kids didn't let out a single peep saying any were cool. Save the time and gas and go to a local neighborhood read more

Not spectacular at all. Better to drive around random streets. I live in lynnwood and I actually have seen better there. It's not worth it.

Cute and very festive. Each house shows a slightly different display and its fun to get out and walk around too.