High for the Holidays

SEASONAL SMILES—Troy Sax, 5, and his 3-year-old sister, Randi, of Moorpark talk with Santa Claus during a Holiday on High Street event. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers A special charm takes over Moorpark’s historic High Street during the holidays. Old storefronts, festive lights and a small-town atmosphere create the kind of Christmas setting that seems made for the movies. As the city prepares for its annual Holiday on High Street celebration Dec. 5, complete with Santa Claus, seasonal entertainment, vendors and even snowfall, the downtown corridor will once again take on a holiday magic. But nearly 60 years ago, Hollywood discovered that a little stretch of Moorpark could pass for the Big Apple. In 1966, filmmakers came to High Street to shoot exterior scenes for “Fitzwil- ly,” a Christmas comedy starring Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”).

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