The holidays are usually a time for large family gatherings and festive activities, but this year continues to look and feel different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dyker Heights, however, is still keeping its annual holiday decorating tradition alive.
Deck the halls
The neighborhood’s Christmas lights have garnered national and international attention throughout the years, as tourists flock to the area and post pictures on their social media and travel blog posts. Homeowners decorate their houses and front lawns with twinkling lights, giant inflatables and oversized wreaths, which are on view from sundown to midnight. Though most displays can be seen between 83rd and 86th Streets, between 10th and 13th Avenues, houses along 10th and even 14th Avenues have joined the fun as well.
The Frasca family, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than two decades, remained undeterred by the pandemic. They hired professionals to decorate their 81st Street home on Nov. 21.
“We look forward to this time of year and putting the lights up,” the Frasca family said during the weekend of Thanksgiving. “Even though there’s a lot of vehicular and foot traffic during December, it’s pretty cool that crowds of people take pictures of your house.”
Their house – currently glitzed out with multi-colored lights that are wrapped around their lawn shrubbery, lamp post, Christmas wreaths, and window frames – was recently featured on the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Instagram page. Their picture received 1,185 likes within a single day, as well as comments like “Beautiful!” “Gorgeous!” and even “Brooklyn strong.”
The Frasca’s decorations will remain up until January 1, 2021. The Dyker Heights Lights season usually wraps on Jan. 6, also known as Little Christmas.
A still bright holiday season
B&R Christmas Decorators Inc., which has been in business for more than 30 years, is a local holiday decorating and professional Christmas light installation company. Residents and business owners often turn to them for help with their exteriors, which sometimes literally outshine others. B&R had already decorated houses in Dyker Heights and throughout the tri-state area before Dec.1.
“I think some people are really tired this year and want a break,” B&R CEO James Bonavita told the RHSR on Nov. 30. “A few of my normal houses didn’t decorate their houses this year and I understand why. It was a very hard year, financially and emotionally. People lost loved ones and a lot of people lost their jobs.”
“But on the other side, people wanted to do the lights to get out of their own depression, try to enjoy the new year, and make it positive for 2021,” Bonavita said. “I want to help people feel better by helping them with their Christmas decorations.”
The neighborhood is not as extravagantly decorated, compared to last year, but residents wanted to provide some sort of normalcy as 2020 ends. As of Nov. 30, B&R was completely booked until Dec. 10 to decorate more houses and commercial spaces.
Diminished tourism
Though tourism has declined in New York due to travel restrictions and lockdowns, people are still coming and seeing the lights – following New York State guidelines by wearing masks and socially distancing. The Red Hook Star-Revue saw it firsthand on Saturday, Nov. 28, while walking around at 5:30 pm. There weren’t any huge crowds as experienced in years past, but parents with little kids walked down the most lit blocks, pointing at the lights. Young couples and small groups of three or four people were also out and about, taking selfies in front of the displays.
However, a number of international fans have shared their thoughts on the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Instagram page. Ingrid Coeckelbergh, who visited New York last Christmas, wrote a public comment under the Frasca house picture on Nov. 30. She said, “We were there last year … just one year ago … it was amazing! Thank you for this! Greetings from Belgium!!”
In October, Nicky Gregory from the United Kingdom remained hopeful that she and her family could cross this off their bucket list. They had already purchased plane tickets and were planning to walk around Dyker Heights on Christmas Day.
“Desperately hoping flights from the UK are running by then,” Gregory said. “We were booked to come for Christmas.”
During the fall, an Australian woman named Leanne wrote that she was looking forward to enjoying the displays via social media, since she’s unable to travel.
Though there’s nothing like seeing it in person, at least holiday cheer is still being virtually spread, from Brooklyn, for all to enjoy this year.
Author
George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and fixes pinball machines.
