Snoopy House, a home display turned citywide tradition, back at Costa Mesa City Hall
In recent days, under the hands of city-employed elves, a well-known holiday landscape has been assembled piece by piece in preparation for a beloved Costa Mesa tradition — Snoopy House is back, baby.
Starting Friday and running through Dec. 22, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. nightly, locals looking for a little nostalgia and lots of seasonal cheer can come by Costa Mesa City Hall (temporarily renamed “Snoopy Hall” for the occasion) to write a letter to Santa, ride a train and enjoy wintertime treats — or just gaze at a display five decades in the making.
During opening night and this weekend only, the event will also feature Victorian carolers, musical performances and a mini sledding hill with snow.
“We had snow blown this morning with hay and a little ramp, so kids can go down real quick and see how it feels to be in the snow,” said Monique Villasenor, the city’s recreation manager.
Villasenor said Parks and Community Services staff began unpacking Snoopy House’s main attraction, a giant collection of handcrafted wooden characters and buildings arranged in a winter village, weeks ahead of the big day.
The labor of love began in 1966, when the family of former Costa Mesa Mayor Willard Jordan installed the first hand-designed wooden figures, a Christmas-themed homage to Charles Schulz’s comic strip “Peanuts” at their Santa Ana Avenue home.
Snoopy House grew over time and was passed down to Jordan’s son, Jim, who enlisted friends and neighbors to produce new pieces and maintain the mammoth display.
In 2011, the Jordan family bequeathed its beloved collection to Costa Mesa, which grew Snoopy House into a citywide celebration, complete with carolers, performances and a visit from Kris Kringle himself.
Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens confessed he’s signed up to don the red suit on Saturday and Sunday nights, a personal tradition he started when first elected to the City Council in 2016. He looks forward to playing the role each year, despite sweating under the heavy garb and scratchy beard.
“It’s pretty amazing — people bring their whole families, and the families want to get in the picture. You’ve got grandmas and grandpas. It’s unbelievable, it’s terrific.”
During last year’s coronavirus surge, community groups put their heads together and hosted a scaled-down drive-through version of the display in the parking lot of the Costa Mesa IKEA for participants in an annual toy drive hosted by local nonprofit Power of One Foundation.
Stephens had to wave to kids from a distance as families drove by. But this year, Snoopy and Co. have returned to City Hall in full force.
“The train is going to be bigger this year,” Stephens said. “It’s going to be really nice. It’s just great to have it back.”
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