Everything You Need to Know About Visiting the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

The Dyker Heights Christmas Lights began in the 80's by a woman named Lucy Spata, now, this entire neighborhood in Brooklyn goes all out to decorate their houses from head to toe in the best Christmas lights and decor - lights, blow-ups, fake snow, Santas, you name it they've probably got it. You’ll even find hot chocolate stands throughout the area as well as local vendors selling t-shirts and toys - and this single event draws over 100,000 visitors in the few weeks it's up.

Our Essential Travel Resources :
There are plenty of travel companies, but these are my favorite websites and resources for planning an unforgettable trip. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For flights, we recommend Hopper to compare the cheapest travel dates.
​
Car rentals comparisons are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you!

We always use Expedia's easy to use platform for hotels.

To keep cell service while traveling internationally, we always use Airalo’s easy eSIM’s (no installation required), and NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi.

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Get Your Guide also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for any international or domestic travels.

How to See the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

This incredible display of Christmas lights and decor are put up beginning the third Thursday in November, and can be seen every single night until about mid January, from dusk to 9/10 pm. They begin coming down around early to mid January, so as long as you visit between Thanksgiving and New Years, you should be good. Although there are tours available, we highly recommend taking an Uber and getting dropped off nearby or taking the subway and walking the rest of the way, which is what we did. Because there were so many other visitors in the area for the Christmas lights, walking at night didn't feel sketchy at all.

​Subway directions are also pretty easy, even if you’re uncomfortable or haven’t ridden one before. Just grab a metro card at one of the ticket booths at every subway station, and ride Line D to 79th Street or Line R to 86th Street. It’s also worth noting that typically most houses will not put out the baby Jesus of each nativity set until Christmas Eve - the reason why is somewhat unknown, although some people say it's because baby Jesus kept getting stolen.

Our Favorite Tours of Dyker Heights :
- Guided Walking Tour of Dyker Heights
- Trolley Tour of Dyker Heights

Our Best Tips to Experience Dyker Heights

• Do NOT drive. This neighborhood is crowded, and parking anywhere near New York City can be difficult, so if you choose to drive you’ll most likely be stuck in the car for hours. We highly recommend taking the subway or getting dropped off nearby by Taxi or Uber.
• Dress warm. This is winter and New York can get chilly! When we visited it was about 32 degrees, and our ears were still getting cold in the wind near the end of our adventure. Think wool socks, boots, a jacket, mittens, hat, and a scarf. We also highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes for all the walking - you can shop all our best winter gear here.
• Bring something warm to drink and a snack! There are hot chocolate stands throughout the area, but the one we saw charged $5 a cup, which can add up fast if you’re with a large group. We recommend bringing a thermos instead with hot apple cider or hot cocoa with some snacks to munch on while you walk around!
• Be respectful. These are peoples homes. Even though there are quite a few signs everywhere telling Christmas lights viewers to stay off private property, we saw a handful of people climbing in yards and up to front doors to take pictures - please don’t be those people.
• Enjoy & have fun! We spent around 2 hours here and loved every minute, we recommend planning to spend a minimum of 2 hours exploring all the decorations. We loved all the decorations, fake snow, and spending time with other Christmas lights enthusiasts, and hope you love it as much as us!

Watch our Dyker Heights Adventures Here!

---

Other New York City Blogs :
-> New Years Eve in Times Square
-> Best Things to Eat in Koreatown NYC
-> Harlem NYC A First Timer's Guide

---

Pin this Dyker Heights Guide for Later!