PINE CITY, N.Y. (WENY) -- Jodi Wheeler has been making candy in the region for over 30 years. Each year, when the holidays approach, Wheeler shares her experience with others by teaching them how to make candy canes and encouraging people to donate to Toys for Tots.

Wheeler's Candyland and Creamery in Pine City welcomed people of all ages out to the shop on Sunday to try their hands at candy cane making. With Christmas just a few days away, some attendees say it was a great way to ring in the big day.


"Candy canes are actually very easy to make which I never really noticed last time," said Anthony, one of the children who attended the class and has done it in past years too.

Wheeler showed guests the process of making a candy cane from start to finish.

To start, Wheeler used a special copper cooking kettle to heat up a mix of sugar, corn syrup, and water. Once the mixture was heated, she poured it onto marble imported from Italy, not heated marble that may typically be seen in other candy shops.

The candy shop is also only one of five candy stores in the nation that still uses a motorized ribbon candy maker. The Wheeler's machine dates back to the 1930s.

As for the recipe, Wheeler then explained that the mixture receives flavoring. The choice for the classes held on Saturday was cotton candy. After being split into two to make the stripes, the coloring is added, Wheeler adds air into the mixture by shaping it over the hook. Then, it is brought over to be heated once more and wiped with a damp cloth to combine the two different colored mixtures back together once more.

Once that process is complete, Wheeler rolled the colors together and broke off sections, handing them to guests to roll and shape into canes. Once they cooled, they were packaged and given to guests.

For some attendees, like Anthony, this is not their first time making candy canes at Wheeler's. For others, it was.

"Well, I thought it was a fun learning experience," said Jen, another attendee. "We're homeschoolers, so it was a great way to be able to learn the process of making candy."

But for one other first-timer named Maria, it was also her first time even learning about candy canes.

"Maria is our exchange student," said Helen Beckhorn, another class attendee. "We live in Addison, new York, so I figured this would be super fun for her to do to come here see Santa and make a candy cane because I'm sure she hasn't done it before."

"Yeah, I'm staying here like an exchange student in the USA and we're going to make candy canes," added Maria. "We don't have those in Spain."

People certainly come out for the sweets but, Wheeler also invites people out to give back to others. Each year, the shop hosts the classes alongside a toy drive to collect gifts that will be donated to Toys For Tots.

"Well, I think that Christmas is all about the kids and just a learning experience that they would never get at home, and I just think it's good to teach these kids some old-time traditions," said Jodi Wheeler, the owner of Wheeler's Candyland and Creamery.

Families left with their classic handmade Christmas treat but, they also learned about spreading that cheer to others. On their way out, they were also able to stop by, take a picture with Santa Claus, and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

Wheeler's Candyland and Creamery is open seven days a week.

Wheeler adds, "We're open until Christmas Eve, until 4 o'clock, selling our candy and cookies and cakes and pies, and you can call Wheeler's at 607-733-2730 if you have any questions."

The shop is located at 1827 Pennsylvania Ave in Pine City.