What to Know
- IKEA Costa Mesa at 1475 S. Coast Drive
- Dec. 16 and 17 are the toy collection nights, while Dec. 18 is the toy giveaway
- Admission on Dec. 16 and 17 is a toy for kids ages 15 and under; registration is required for all nights
The kids of Peanuts, Charles Schulz's philosophical, wry, sweet, and spectacularly Snoopy-fied comic strip?
One true thing you can say about the timeless tots is this: They're often on the move.
Whether they're dancing on a stage, or trick-or-treating ("I got a rock!"), or running in the direction of a football, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and the strip's other iconic characters are frequently in motion.
So when you learn that a beloved Peanuts-themed display is on the move, it shouldn't surprise.
And if you if you grew up in Orange County, you know exactly where we're headed with this line of thought: To the "Snoopy House," the elaborate and homemade holiday Peanuts display that has long graced the lawn of Costa Mesa City Hall.
Jim Jordan created the display for his own home in the mid-1960s, a jolly line-up of character cut-outs and other festive details that soon became a must-see for locals.
When the family "was faced with some difficult financial times," and it looked like the end of the annual treat, the community stepped in, saving the treasured installation and creating a new central place for people to enjoy it each December.
But its new home, at least in this most unusual December? Head's up: It won't be at city hall in 2020.
Now the Snoopy House is again on the move, but it won't go too far.
Rather, it's popping up at IKEA Costa Mesa parking lot as a drive-thru event, all to keep people safe and distanced within their cars and to help give back to the community.
How?
It's a toy drive in 2020, and how the "Winter Wonderland" Drive-Thru Event works is this: The three-night happening will be divvied into two parts.
On Dec. 16 and 17, people are asked to arrive with a toy to donate, a gift that is appropriate for kids who are 15 or under.
Then on Dec. 18? The toys will be distributed to visitors driving through to look at the display.
Whatever night you'd like to attend you'll want to register first, and keep in mind that walk-ups (or rather "roll-ups," since this is a drive-thru) will not be permitted.
Advance registration is the way to go, in short, and this page has the link you need.
For more details on the 2020 engagement of the darling and full-of-heart display, do your own Snoopy dance in this direction now.
