MAGOFFIN CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — Each year around the holidays, Licking Station Road becomes re-branded as Candy Cane Lane. This Salyersville staple celebrated three decades this December, and 91-year-old Ben Gardner doesn’t plan on dimming his Christmas cheer anytime soon.
“We start early November putting it up and after the first of January we’ll take it down,” Gardner said.
The idea for his Kentucky Candy Cane Lane came when Gardner worked out-of-state. He put his vision in action when he moved back to his farm.
“One of the towns we lived in when we were away had a Candy Cane Lane, a Bell Lane, and some other lane” Gardner explained. “We got the idea there and decided when we moved back that we’d have a Candy Cane Lane here on the farm, and that’s how it developed.”
LEX 18 visited Candy Cane Lane in 2017, and again in 2020. The tradition is much older than that, going back 30 years ago to 1994.
“At that time we had about six or eight strings of lights, and two or three candy canes and that was it,” said Gardner. “You can see what’s happened since then. It’s got out of control.”
In the past, Gardner dressed up as Santa Claus, and kids would run up and share their Christmas wishes. These days, Gardner doesn’t sit outside anymore. There is a mailbox, though, with a direct link to the North Pole.
“Children leave their letters in there and Santa responds to that,” said Gardner.
With help from the post office, Gardner reads – and responds – to each letter. He estimates the mailbox received more than 200 letters this season.
“I enjoy reading the letters to Santa,” Gardner said. “It’s amazing the imagination and the ingenuity that they put into letters of what they want for Christmas, and telling me how they’ve been good, or some actually tell you they’ve been bad, but they intend to be good.”
In a season of celebrating joy to the world, Gardner hopes Candy Cane Lane brings some of that joy to Magoffin County.
“I know in this county that we have so many people that are not too well off, and this gives them a chance to come see something and it’s free,” he expressed.
You’d better believe Gardner has every intention of bringing the lights back next year.
“I’m still the one that puts up the stuff on my house that you see up on the eaves and do the climbing,” Gardner said. “I don’t let the children do that. I’m afraid they’re going to fall."
The lights will stay up through New Year’s Day. If you miss them this year, Gardner says they start the process all over again each November.
