Henderson’s ‘Candy Cane House’ is a winter wonderland for a good cause
The “Candy Cane House” is back for its fifth year.
Married couple Joey Cardona and Victor Cardenas, who own the house and started decorating in October, said they expect up to 6,000 visitors a weekend.
The house, at 366 South Milan Street in Henderson, has become a local Christmas landmark, garnering its nickname from the candy canes the couple would give to visitors.
It’s not hard to see why thousands flock to the home. The Cardonas have transformed the home into a winter wonderland, boasting over 60,000 lights, 80 Christmas trees, and a room full of nutcrackers, some of them 6 feet tall.
Cardona, 45, and Cardenas, 35, said the house is free to enter, but the couple encourages donating hygiene items, food, or cash to HopeLink of Southern Nevada, a nonprofit that provides homelessness prevention services.
The nonprofit offers rapid rehousing, career services, as well as clothing and food products to the community, said Kristen Aviles, the nonprofit’s chief operating officer.
In the Candy Cane House, bins are placed at various rooms to collect hygiene items and non-perishable foods.
“I’ve always been crazy for Christmas,” Cardona said.
Cardona has spent almost 17 years collecting various holiday decorations, focusing mostly on antiques. Cardona said that he’s usually the one that buys the decorations and Cardenas is the one to execute his vision.
The extravagant Christmas decorating started, Cardona said, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, which had spread to his heart and lungs.
“I thought I was gonna pass, so I added more (Christmas trees), but I didn’t pass away. And it made sense that I had to do something with it. I’m still here,” Cardona said. Now, they’re in their fifth year of opening their house to the public.
People have expressed their gratitude for giving their kids something to marvel over, sending cards with handwritten notes. Those cards are pinned on a wall in a hallway in the couple’s home.
Visitors walk through the rooms; each of the rooms has its own theme and color scheme. In addition to the room filled with nutcrackers, there is also a cotton candy-themed room with Christmas trees and ornaments in pink and blue pastels. That room is also filled with a sweet, cotton candy scent.
Cardona said the most rewarding thing about opening up his home was spreading the Christmas feeling and raising money for a cause that helps people — like his mother, he said.
“They primarily help a lot of women, and that’s why we chose them. Because my mom, she was a single mother … I don’t think a lot of people realize how much it is for women with kids, daycare, babysitting and all that stuff,” said Cardona.
Cardona said he would never charge money to enter the home.
“We thought about charging like $1. It’s just, I can’t see myself charging for Christmas,” said Cardona, “That’s a lot of money for some women. We want to keep this free.”
Cardona’s favorite tree pays homage to their favorite hockey team, the Vegas Golden Knights. At the top of the gold-colored tree, a Knights helmet sits.
Another tree is dedicated to Cardona’s nephew, who plays the violin. The tree is wrapped in ribbons displaying sheet music and a violin sits at the top of the tree.
Last year, the couple had raised $4,000 in cash for HopeLink of Southern Nevada, according to a HopeLink press release.
“Last year, we were really low on (hygiene items),” said Aviles. Hygiene items from the Candy Cane House helped the nonprofit maintain a year-round supply of feminine hygiene products, Aviles said.
“If you’re able to, bring in hygiene products. You can also donate cash, or you can just come in and enjoy,” Cardona said. “Christmas is about spreading the holiday love.”
The Candy Cane House is open to the public from Dec. 13 to Dec. 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The house is open to the public from Dec. 19 to Dec. 22 and Dec. 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Contact Annie Vong at avong@reviewjournal.com. Follow @annievwrites on X or @annievong.bsky.social.