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Torrance’s decades-old Christmas tradition faces a crackdown on food sales this year, leaving some residents unhappy.
The event, known as “Sleepy Hollow,” is an unofficial event held every December by homeowners in the Seaside Ranchos area. Christmas lights adorn the tree and oversized decorations adorn the front lawn.
Every year, this nightly spectacle draws thousands of people. Some people drive by, others stroll along the sidewalk. But this year, one of the homes on Leith Road has an empty card table and a large sign that says “Prohibited.” This is in reference to the Torrance City Council’s decision to begin fining residents who sell food and drinks prepared in their own kitchens.
The owner of this home is James Casale, and his four daughters have raised hundreds of dollars for various charities over the years at this small table. The sisters donated proceeds to sports teams, the Girl Scouts, and St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Although her daughters are all adults now, Casale said she put up the sign for families who may not have the same opportunities in the future.
“Their kids won’t be able to do what my kids have been able to do for the last 20 years,” he said.
People who live in the quiet residential area say everything changed in 2018 when the state of California began selling to street vendors at events like Sleepy Hollow.
“In the middle of the street where the barbecue pit is, an outside vendor broke in,” Casale said.
Torrance City Council members this year banned outside vendors from selling products on neighborhood sidewalks that aren’t legally large enough to accommodate them, citing increased risk and the prohibitive cost of crowd control. began enforcing rules.
But at the same time, they voted to let the city’s Cottage Food Pilot Program expire. Under the rules, local sellers were still allowed to sell from their homes until 9 p.m. Now they have to stop at 5 p.m.
Some residents, like Brent Maille, praised the city’s decision, but admitted they were disappointed they couldn’t continue their fundraising efforts.
“There has always been a battle between what we call ‘external vendors’ and ‘resident vendors,’” he said. “You can’t just do one and not the other. That’s not fair.”
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