Who knew that an idea generated at a simple neighborhood party in DuBoistown in 1957 would give rise to one of this area’s most special and enduring Christmastime institutions?

That special institution is Candy Cane Lane, located on Summer Street and Spring Street in the borough of DuBoistown. There are 14 homes involved along Summer Street, as well as several in the area known as “the DuBoistown Heights.”

“We never dreamed that this would still be going on for more than 60 years,” Martha Kropp, one of the group of neighbors on Summer Street that founded this Christmastime institution, told Webb Weekly. “It’s a lot of work, but it is worth it to see the smiling faces that come and see this every year.”

Candy Cane Lane was born in a time in America where neighbors and neighborhoods were closer together and where everyone looked out for one another and felt a real sense of community and where neighbors were cherished friends as well as neighbors.

“Those of us who lived on Summer Street were a pretty tightly knit neighborhood that did a lot of things together, including having neighborhood picnics,” Martha said. “At one of these picnics, the 16 families living in the neighborhood thought that it would be a nice idea to really decorate our houses big during the upcoming holiday season of 1957. Erma Fullmer was the real sparkplug behind the idea. Each neighbor chipped in about $10 for the cost of buying lights, and we each would be responsible for the cost of the electricity. In addition to lights, we added things such as a Nativity scene, toy soldiers, snowmen, elves, Santas and reindeer, and of course, candy canes. We got a lot of our stuff at a good price when the old Tri-State went out of business in the early 70s. We never had any idea that it would grow to be such a big thing and become a Christmas institution in this area and help people to make DuBoistown well known as a major Christmastime destination.”

There was only one blip during the history of this fine Christmas tradition, and that came in 1973 during the Energy Crisis precipitated by the Arab oil embargo that year in which there was no Candy Cane Lane, but she said things returned to normal the following year.

For Martha’s son, Craig, Candy Cane Lane has been a part of his entire life.

“This truly is a multi-generational thing at all levels,” Craig said. “There have been multiple generations of the families involved in this who put it on, and there are multiple generations of families that have been coming out to see this for years and years.”

He believes that Candy Cane Lane helps to spark a strong sense of nostalgia in people who long for a simpler time when things were friendlier, and a respect and love for the Christmas season was more apparent. He said it helps evoke a longing for those times and gives people, even for a brief time, a leap back into those more treasured and simpler times.

According to Craig, the type of lighting has changed, though. Now a lot of lights are LED lights, which require less electricity, which of course helps with the electric bill. He said many people asked if PPL gives them a break on the cost of the electricity, and he said that they didn’t.

In a related matter, he said that during the last several years, Cable Services have used their bucket trucks to help put up the street lighting, which has been of great help to this magnificent light show.

One of the more interesting aspects to Candy Cane Lane is the actual handing out of candy canes who children to come to view it.

“The DuBoistown Volunteer Fire Company helps with the cost of the candy canes that are handed out,” Craig said. “We give out between 5,000 and 10,000 candy canes in five weeks. “Additionally, DuBoistown’s fire police, along with fire police from throughout the area, help out with traffic control.”

Some of the original families that helped get Candy Cane Lane started include Edmund and Erma Fullmer, Paul Fullmer and his wife Miriam, Donald and Shirley Fullmer, Dale and Shirley Seese, Harold and Martha Kropp, Charlie and Vince Maneval, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Smith, Ralph Thornton and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McNutt Sr., just to name a few.

These and other later families have provided a loving and living legacy that helps to literally and figuratively light up the Christmas season for the thousands of people who visit the special magic place that is Candy Cane Lane.