SANTEE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Starlight Circle, the famed Christmas neighborhood, is lit once again and the crowds have gathered to visit the millions of lights adorning the homes of a normally quiet bedroom community.
The City of Santee has started cracking down on third party vendors after some scammers were trying to charge cars a fee to the neighborhood free event. Now, mobile vendors without permits are being booted from the area, while some homeowners have turned their front yards into pop-up shops, selling kettle corn, cotton candy tacos and hot chocolate.
Thousands of visitors have already passed through the neighborhood.
“Magical memories they get to have,” said Kelly Laughton, a mother of two visiting from out of town.
With third-party vendors gone, homeowners have been seeing a brisk business with the profits helping to pay for their exorbitant SDGE electricity bills.
“Gourmet sweet rolls. This one is a cranberry orange, stuffed with a cranberry jam,” said Sandra Gonzales while selling sweet rolls to the crowds.
With the crowds just starting, the month of December promises to get very busy once again.
“Everybody is happy, you’ve come to a place were everybody is in good mood for the most part. If they weren’t in a good mood they would have stayed home,” said Sean Ford, the Kettle Corn popper.
There are portable bathrooms set up at Santana High School and the city is warning visitors to not pay an entry fee. No one is allowed to block access to a public street in a Santee neighborhood.
