What to Know
- Dec. 14-23, 2018
- 5:30 to 9 p.m.
- Costa Mesa City Hall
If you were tasked with performing the Peanuts dance, from the famous "A Charlie Brown Christmas" scene, would you wonder which character to emulate?
Because, truth: Some of the Peanuts kids, in the 1965 special, are sort of hopping, and bobbing their heads, while other animated tots throw their hands in the air, energetically.
Whatever your preferred Peanuts-inspired dance style is, best start to boogie, for a Christmastime Peanuts tradition is here, or, rather, one that is very specific to Costa Mesa.
Specific and highly treasured, that is.
It's the Snoopy House we speak of, and if you grew up in the area, or have visited Costa Mesa in December since the late 1960s, you likely know this large-scale, highly colorful display, one that finds its adorable inspiration in the whimsically philosophical world created by Charles Schulz.
The display has been seen at Costa Mesa City Hall since 2011, which is exactly where it will shine again, starting on the evening of Friday, Dec. 14.
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The Snoopy House's final night for 2018 is Sunday, Dec. 23, and the hours each evening will run from 5:30 to 9 o'clock.
Lines can and do form, so don your mittens, and bring a buddy, and, for sure, your camera, too, for Santa will be there from 7 to 9 p.m. each night. And those pics with Santa? Totally free, like the event itself.
Look also for live music and treats to buy, too.
The family that originated this local charmer had encountered "difficult financial times," making its annual presentation unfeasible several years back. Jim Jordan, who was inspired to create the sizable holiday favorite in the mid-'60s, didn't want to see his happy-making display come to an end.
This is where the City of Costa Mesa gamely stepped in, in 2011, to continue a tradition that so many kids around the region grew up loving.
Kids, and, yes, adults, too.
Don't miss this one, if you're a Peanuts person, if you like community-minded sights that have ably weathered the ups and downs of life, or if you're just seeking a sweet and free seasonal outing with the family.
