An Elevated Guide to Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

Brooklyn’s beloved Dyker Heights Christmas Lights is a renowned sensory adventure — and an elevated visit makes for an especially remarkable experience. Whether you’re traveling from out of town or arriving from a day of shopping in downtown Brooklyn, enhancing your state of mind makes the twinkling lights and festive cheer all the merrier. Before you book your one-way ticket to Christmas paradise, get to know the Dyker Heights holiday lights with our detailed guide.

The Magic of Dyker Heights Christmas Lights: what to expect

The history of Dyker Heights Christmas traditions

In the 1980s, shortly after Lucy Spata moved to Dyker Heights (in South Brooklyn near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge), she began adorning her home with a bounty of Christmas lights. Although her neighbors supposedly didn’t care for Spata’s lights at first, she had a big reason to keep putting them up. The angels in Spata’s decorations have always been tributes to her late mother, whose Christmas displays were just as reputedly grand.

Shortly after Spata began her Christmas light displays, the nearby Polizzotto family did the same. The rest is history.

Now, every year, from just after Thanksgiving through early January, Dyker Heights is home to true spectacles of Christmas lighting throughout the whole neighborhood. You’ll see at least a million lights in total, and although you likely can’t count this high, you definitely can enjoy a high as you stroll through the sights.

Top highlights of the display

All the Brooklyn Christmas light displays in Dyker Heights are highlights. You’ll start to see lights on 10th Avenue between 83rd and 86th Streets, and the heart of this adventure spans 11th, 12th, and 13th Avenues between 83rd and 86th Streets.

Many visitors say that the Spata and Polizzotto houses remain the highlight of the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights. Really, though, walking the streets and standing in front of any house makes for a great impromptu viewing spot or photo opp. Bring an infused hot tea to keep warm as you stroll, and when you upload your photos to Instagram, tag @thetravelagency.co and use the hashtag #DkyerHighXmas. We can’t wait to see how your travels go.

Planning your visit to see the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

When to visit

The best time to see the Dyker Heights Christmas lights is after dusk, so try to arrive at 5 p.m. or just a bit later. Some of the area’s homeowners turn their lights off around 9 p.m., so you might want to head home around then. Or, if you prefer a nighttime boarding pass to bliss, most of the lights will stay on until midnight.

You might start to see some lights the day after Thanksgiving, but you may want to plan your earliest visit for the Monday after. During these extra few days, the area’s homeowners get all their light displays fully up and ready. At the same time, don’t visit any later than early January — you’re guaranteed a spectacle if you visit before New Year’s.

Getting to Dyker Heights

To get to Dyker Heights from Manhattan or Brooklyn, find your way to the R train and take it to the 86 St/4 Av stop in Bay Ridge. (You can also take the Q express to the DeKalb Av stop in Downtown Brooklyn, then switch to the R.) Once you reach this stop, transfer to the eastbound B1 bus and hop off at the 86 St/11th Av stop. You can also walk for 15 minutes instead of taking the bus — an elevated stroll is always a lovely journey.

Alternatively, if the D train is more convenient for you, catch it to the 86 St/18th Av stop in Bensonhurst. Catch the westbound B1 bus to 86th St/13th Ave, or walk the five blocks. Or, if you’re going by car or rideshare, give yourself 30 to 45 minutes from North or Downtown Brooklyn, or 45 minutes to an hour from Manhattan. One final option: NYC Christmas light tours will take you to Dyker Heights from a location (typically in Manhattan) that’s quick and easy to reach, and you’ll get insider knowledge from a local.

Travel Agency dispensary stops in the area

Lifting off from Manhattan? Stop by The Travel Agency — Midtown East or our Union Square flagship to get your fuel for takeoff and goodies for a breezy journey. You’ll also pass by The Travel Agency — Downtown Brooklyn whether you’re taking transit from Manhattan or North Brooklyn.

While you’re visiting us, ask our budtenders what they’d recommend to match your ideal vibe for your Dyker Heights trip. Whether you’re aiming for mellow, festive, or something in between, we’re here to help you set the right mood.

Tips for an elevated Dyker Heights experience

Pairing products for the holiday vibe

Bring an infused drink that matches the festive vibe of the season, such as Ayrloom’s UP Honeycrisp 2:1 Apple Cider. Start your journey with a pre-roll to get your wheels off the ground as you head out. Or, add a beverage enhancer to your favorite hot drink in a thermos, and keep your vape in your pocket for quick puffs to sustain that holiday vibe.

Stay mindful

One of the most important Dyker Heights tips for Christmas is that huge crowds swarm to the Christmas lights. Be respectful of the neighborhood and all its visitors, and opt for more discreet consumption like vapes or a well-timed edible.

Get familiar with New York’s public cannabis consumption laws before you visit the Dyker Heights Christmas lights. Most of them are pretty common sense, but knowing more unexpected ones, such as smoking being banned in parked vehicles, is essential for a smooth ride.

Essentials to bring along

It’s not a complete Dyker Heights experience without a handful of extra essentials. You already know to bring an infused hot drink, and snacks are also a must-have. After all, you’ll be out and about for several hours (including your commute), and depending on your route to bliss, you might be in for a case of the munchies.

Also, a hot drink isn’t the only way you should keep yourself warm as you traverse Dyker Heights in the cold. Gloves, a beanie, a scarf, a winter coat, and other cold-weather clothes and accessories make every moment in Dyker Heights so much more immersive.

Other must-see holiday lights in NYC

Looking to extend your vacation in the glow? Some other excellent New York holiday lights include:

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. This 75-foot-plus tree is a classic Manhattan photo opp and a sensory feast for the eyes. Like the Dyker Heights Christmas lights, you can visit the Rockefeller tree from 5 p.m. through midnight, with 24-hour lighting on Christmas Eve. It’s also a five-minute walk from The Travel Agency — Fifth Avenue in Midtown East.

Radio City Music Hall. Head right around the corner from Rockefeller Center to see another Christmas tree that you can pair with an unforgettable show. Radio City Music Hall’s iconic Christmas tree is an all-time-great photo opp that’s perfect to pair with the venue’s storied Rockettes Christmas Spectacular.

Bryant Park Winter Village. This beloved park just five blocks from our Midtown East location takes on a second life as a Christmas village during the holiday season. Christmas trees and cozy igloos abound, and you’ll also be right next to the flagship New York Public Library location — perfect for travelers who like to tuck away with a book.

Lincoln Square’s Magical Lights. You’ll find New York’s newest holiday lighting display at one of its most esteemed institutions. Sparkling vines that change their color based on the sounds and movements around you descend from eight trees at Lincoln Square’s Magical Lights. Head to 64th and Broadway to experience this high-tech lighting adventure.

Wrapping up the night

Not ready to end your night after your stroll through Dyker Heights or other Christmas lights? Swing by The Travel Agency and ask our budtenders for recommendations. We’ll be delighted to direct you to the best nearby restaurants for a warm, comforting meal and send you on your way with the most relaxing products. And hey, we might even share some other insider tips about where else to see the best of NYC for the holidays. Leave your boarding pass at home — we’ll get you where you’re going.