Candy Cane Forest: A Christmas Lights Display in Muscatine, Iowa
Nearly seven miles of light strands, trees wrapped in color, and illuminated arches. Kevin Hilbrant’s Candy Cane Forest brings Christmas decorating to an impressive scale in Muscatine.
When we previously featured the display, its reported total had reached approximately 141,000 LED lights. But the numbers are only part of the story. This is a project built around Kevin’s enjoyment of decorating and sharing the season with others.
The photos below show a previous season. Opening dates and hours for Christmas 2026 have not yet been verified for this article.
Where is Candy Cane Forest?
The display has been located near the intersection of Cedar Street and Wood Creek Lane in Muscatine, near the Muscatine Community YMCA.
This is a display at a private home. Follow any posted viewing instructions and keep driveways and intersections clear.
How big is the display?
Our earlier coverage recorded a starting point of approximately 22,000 lights when Kevin began decorating in Muscatine in 2016.
By the time we featured Candy Cane Forest, the reported figures included:
- Approximately 141,000 LED lights.
- More than 80 wrapped trees.
- 36 illuminated arches.
- Stars suspended throughout the display, including one reported to be about 60 feet above the ground.
- More than 250 feet of decorative swag lighting.
Kevin tracks the project in detail, including light totals, colors, and decorations. These figures describe the display previously featured here, rather than a confirmed inventory for 2026.
A Christmas project that keeps growing
Although Kevin keeps detailed totals, he has described decorating as a hobby rather than a competition with other homeowners. The challenge is finding new ways to improve the display and enjoying the process along the way.
When are the lights on?
Previously reported hours were approximately 5–10 p.m., weather permitting. Our earlier coverage also noted that the lights could remain off when roads were snowy.
A 2026 schedule has not yet been verified. Those previous hours should not be treated as confirmation that the display is operating on a particular evening this season.
Christmas preparations continue after Christmas
For Kevin, December 26 is an opportunity to start preparing for another season.
In a December 2024 interview with The Auroran Today, Muscatine High School’s student newspaper, he described shopping for discounted lights after Christmas, sometimes visiting stores well beyond Muscatine. He also explained that repairing strands and planning improvements continued throughout the year.
It’s a reminder of how much work happens beyond the evenings when visitors see the finished display.
Read The Auroran Today’s interview with Kevin Hilbrant.
