Christmas Lights - Fewer Homes This Year? (Oxnard, Santa Monica: sales, foreclosures)

[ConsideringLA]

My family drives around looking for lights every year -- coming from OC, we're totally out of our element in SFV.

This past Friday 12/5 at 6:30pm, we drove Candy Cane Lane near Lubao and Oxnard in Woodland Hills. Sure there were a few houses lit up, but nothing like the pictures we have seen on the internet.

I talked with someone at work, who shared that his neighborhood in Valencia does a huge display every year, but participation was way down from years past.

So -- were we just too early? Did folks put their lights up the day after (12/6) or perhaps turned them on after 7pm? Or are folks foreclosed? Preserving cash rather than running lights? Or they usually "outsource" the display and are saving cash?


Interested in forum opinion as we hope we were just premature on our drive.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by ConsideringLA

This past Friday 12/5 at 6:30pm, we drove Candy Cane Lane near Lubao and Oxnard in Woodland Hills.

My guess is you were there a bit early. A lot of people there probably worked it this past weekend and maybe next.

I think we'll check it out when we're out there in a couple weeks. My parents took me there in the mid 1960s.

According to this:

http://www.woodlandhillscc.net/Scripts/openExtra.asp?extra=30 (broken link)

Candy Cane Lane has been there since 1952.

[Mr. Mysterious]

I still have my Holiday light decorations from the last two years. (Just too lazy to put them back up, and then put them back in, every year.)

However, based on how I modeled the light decorations in my house is a universal design.

Good for 4th of July, Halloween, and Christmas

[elousv]

I have not driven around yet, but a couple of neighbors have said that they have noticed less lights this year. Maybe people are behind, I know we were about a week short. Up and running now!!! I did notice sales are already running, Lowe's was 50% of last weekend. Electricity bills are more than running the air conditioner, but hey we still have jobs and people really enjoy the display.

[ConsideringLA]

Originally Posted by elousv

I have not driven around yet, but a couple of neighbors have said that they have noticed less lights this year. Maybe people are behind, I know we were about a week short. Up and running now!!! I did notice sales are already running, Lowe's was 50% of last weekend. Electricity bills are more than running the air conditioner, but hey we still have jobs and people really enjoy the display.

Good point - there are fewer days this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so that could be impacting as well.

[John23]

I drove around saturday night. I was wondering about the lights, and foreclosures, and what people were doing.

Drove through Beverly Hills to the Grove, looked gorgeous. There's a gorgeous house on Sunset, just west of where sunset turns and you get into Hollywood. There was an empty plot of land around there...the sheik's house. This house was near there, or built on the plot, I don't know. But the biggest light display I've seen on a house this year. I doubt if they're foreclosed

Wilshire looked nice.

And the grove was gorgeous, packed. Great display.

And other neighborhoods, noticed more blue lights.

[BRinSM]

Wilshire through Beverly Hills always looks nice, especially the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Santa Monica also usually decorates the large ficus trees along 2nd and 4th which is pretty cool as well. Lastly, the new park at the Century Plaza in Century City has the biggest christmas tree I've seen outside of Disneyland. It's nice to walk over that way for lunch and take in the giant, meticulously decorated tree.

[the one]

i wish!!! not in my part of town. so many people have put up those awful gaudy inflatable snowmen and santas and whatnot.

most houses with lights look tacky now.

people dont put lights up with class anymore. now they string them up where ever they can. from trees. from windows. on the rose bushes. they stick reindeer atop a manger. stack an inflatable mr and ms claus on the roof. its tacky.

a train going around your yard, if its the center piece, is ok. but if its lost among blankets of lights, its pointless.
people need to learn how to edit their displays

otherwise i love lights. i put them up every year. the old big bulb, burn your house down. a simple string along the roof line and along the front yard planters.
simple but festive.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

The cost may be a factor this year. I noticed that you can now buy extremely efficient LED's to replace the more costly to operate old style lights. LED's also last longer, although I haven't checked out the cost to purchase them. We have several neightborhoods up in the Oxnard area that go all out. One neighborhood with old victorian homes is a local stop. It like many communities goes by the name "Candy Cane lane". Also at the Harbor many of the homes and boats in the back of the homes on the water are decorated. That looks cool when you drive over the Channel Islands Blvd bridge. And dont forget many coastal communities have a Parade of lights, Boats decorated that make a trip around the harbor. Both the communities of Oxnard and Ventura do that. I will check on the dates and post that later.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Just checked on the dates for the two Ventura County Parade of lights shows at the harbor's in the area.

Oxnard Parade of lights: Saturday December 13th 10 am - 9 pm with the parade at 7 pm.

take the 101 to the Victoria Road Exit in Ventura and head south to Channel Islands Blvd. Take a right at Channel Islands Blvd and get in the left lane. Drive over the bridge and turn left at the Harbor Blvd light. Head south and follow the signs.

They will have 25 tons of snow, Horse drawn carriage rides, holiday artist market, exibitors, food booths, and lots of fun for the family.

Ventura Parade of Lights: Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th of December. Similar to Oxnards. event.

Maybe someone could post other events in the area.