A look at some of the most popular holiday lights displays in the SCV
By Selvin Ramirez
For The Signal
The days after Thanksgiving, or even the day after Halloween, families decorate their homes with lights and displays to celebrate the holiday season. These homes light up the Santa Clarita Valley with joy and cheer. Behind each of these homes are families with stories of why they do this year after year, despite the challenges that come from installing these elaborate displays.
Holiday lights abound throughout the SCV, so this is by no means a comprehensive list. But here is a sampling of some of the houses you can visit this holiday season:
Wakefield Winter Wonderland
Wakefield Court, Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Commonly referred to by local residents as “Candy Cane Lane,” the Wakefield Winter Wonderland has been a holiday staple to Santa Clarita residents and visitors for almost 30 years. Over 40 houses are decked out with lights, inflatables and animatronics of your favorite holiday characters. As you walk or drive around the cul-de-sac, you can see homes lined up with the classic poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” What many people don’t know is that this neighborhood tradition started during the year of the 1994 Northridge earthquake to bring the community together. There is also a toy donation collection location for the SCV Boys and Girls Club at 21900 Wakefield Court and for the local homeless shelter at 21982 Wakefield Court. According to the Wakefield Winter Wonderland Facebook page, the hours are 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and there are no public restrooms, so drink that cocoa at your own risk.
Homestead Holidays
Homestead Place, Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Nestled west of the Wakefield Winter Wonderland is the Homestead Holidays. This neighborhood goes all out with their holiday decorations. This neighborhood tradition was founded in part by the Valvo family. The Valvos’ twin children Troy and Cheyenne Valvo have been passing out candy canes for years to people visiting their street. Homestead Holidays gained national attention in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when the twins aimed to continue to pass out candy canes to raise money and collect toys to donate to those in need.
“Just like Santa, not even the pandemic will stop them,” Mike Valvo told Fox News. “Whether it’s raining or it’s windy outside, the kids are out there almost every single night.”
Homestead Holidays has also been featured in the Santa Clarita Transit Holiday Tour Trolley.
Thomas & Cody’s Light Show
25851 Royal Oaks Road, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
The Thomas & Cody’s Light Show has over 20 songs to choose from for their light shows. There are traditional Christmas songs, modern Christmas songs, Disney songs and the non-Christmas song “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. You can tune in to 99.7 FM when you’re near the home to listen to the songs. It runs daily from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Hallak House
25086 Cotton Blossom Lane, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
Houses away from the Thomas & Cody’s Light Show, the Hallak House is another home with 65,000 lights. There is a train, an 8-foot teddy bear and a snowman that blows out snow. Many homes decorate the outside of their homes for others to see, but this house also decorates the inside of their home for their family to enjoy. Tune in to 107.FM when you’re near the home. It runs every night from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Holiday Light Spectacular on Briarcliff Place
27732 Briarcliff Place, Valencia, CA 91354
The Steigelbauer family has the tradition of hosting holiday light shows from October to December. As they raise holiday spirit and cheer, they are raising donations for the National Brain Tumor Society. Kim Steigelbauer lost her father Frank Egan to glioblastoma eight years ago, and the family’s goal is to make life brighter for those diagnosed with a brain tumor now and in the future. Donations can be given at the home or online at nbtsevents.braintumor.org/HolidayLightSpectacular.
Tolentino Christmas
19715 Koji Court, Santa Clarita, CA 91351
For over 11 years, the Tolentino family has put on a spectacular light show for the community to see. Their home won the Signal’s Holiday Lights Contest in 2017. They received 65,627 votes.
“I ask myself when it will be the last year,” said Manny Tolentino. “I look at the kids who visit, and I know it won’t end.”
Manny Tolentino has a creative technical background. For years it had been a dream to work for Disney. His father has always been big with Christmas, and one year he decided to take it to the next level with a synchronized light show. He now works for Disney and incorporates elements of it into the shows.
“I love to see the joy on everyone’s faces,” he said. “Even as I work on putting this together, people would drive by and cheer me on.”
Christmas Wonderland
33218 Acklins Ave., Acton, CA 93510
The residents of Acklins Avenue provided the following description: “This Christmas Wonderland is like stepping into a storybook. The sweet scent of pine in the air and the twinkling lights and glistening ornaments on the towering evergreen trees help create an enchanted forest. Festive decorations, including a child-sized gingerbread house, make this Christmas wonderland a place where dreams and holiday magic intertwine.”
For a pdf copy of a spreadsheet with these holiday lights locations, as well as places to visit Santa Claus and holiday activities at local libraries, go to tinyurl.com/2ck4h7ns.
