This Holiday Candy Cane tradition began with Peter Vriner’s grandfather in 1898 in Champaign, Illinois and then brought the sweetness to Bradenton Beach in 2004.

Peter still uses his grandfather’s recipe and original equipment that has been in the family for generations!

Peter Vriner will demonstrate the 125-year-old candy cane-making techniques that is still the exact same way it was done in 1898 at the Fudge Factory, 117 Bridge St. on Friday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m.

His grandfather, Peter George Vrinios, a Greek immigrant who changed the family name to Vriner, opened Vriner’s Confectionary in Champaign, and over the years, the business was run by generations of the Vriner family. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and was visited by many celebrities.

“President Kennedy gave a speech in the back of a railroad car right there by the confectionary,” Vriner said. “He had one of our candy canes and said it was the best he ever had.”

He said Al Capone had been a regular customer who enjoyed marshmallow sundaes. Eleanor Roosevelt enjoyed their chocolate sodas. Roger Ebert visited almost daily when he worked at the News-Gazette, and REO Speedwagon’s R.E.O./T.W.O. album cover was photographed at the confectionary shop.

The shop closed in 1997, and when Vriner decided to move to Florida in 2004, he couldn’t bear to leave the candymaking equipment behind.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do with a 100-pound marble table, copper kettles and gas burners, but I didn’t want to drop the tradition, so I brought it all with me,” he said.

He said he approached Ben Kaminecki at the Fudge Factory in 2004 and asked if he would be interested in working as a team on the candy canes during the holiday season.

“He said yes and we’ve been partners ever since,” Vriner said.

Vriner begins with cooking the mixture and after 30 minutes, pours it out onto the same 100-pound 6×4-foot marble slab that his grandfather used.