These Neighborhoods Bring Out the Best in Holiday Lights
Some holiday lights displays run closer to home, as neighborhoods get tricked up in colorful strands and cheery figurines that make the season shine brighter at night. Just about every year, their residents have maintained their local tradition of sprucing up their curb appeal so passersby can take in some outdoor holiday magic. Here are some of the best places to see Christmas lights across the U.S.
Deck the Halls in Dyker Heights
Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, New York
During the holiday season, this neighborhood in Brooklyn’s southwest corner gets heavy foot and car traffic, and even tour groups come to see over-the-top holiday-decorated houses.
Homeowners adorn their houses with strands of lights, baubles and life-size Santa and candy cane statues.
Known as Dyker Heights Christmas Lights, or simply “Dyker Lights,” the start of this neighborhood extravaganza is often credited to Lucy Spata.
Over 40 years ago, Spata took it upon herself to begin elaborately decorating the exterior of her Dyker Heights home for Christmas, and neighbors followed suit. Over time, this neighborhood spectacle has grown into an often-recommended NYC holiday attraction.
Make Your Spirits Merry and Bright at Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street, Baltimore, Maryland
The northern Baltimore neighborhood of Hampden gets festive along the 700 block of West 34th Street, between Chestnut Avenue and Keswick Road.
Started by a married couple who lived in this neighborhood and loved Christmas decorations, this “Miracle on 34th Street” began to take shape in the 1990s as their neighbors entered the spirit of seasonal home decorations. Later that decade, the entire block became a popular holiday spectacle, thanks to being featured in a Maryland Lottery TV commercial.
This annual event’s lighting takes place on the Saturday evening of Thanksgiving Weekend, and the neighborhood’s homes display their outdoor lights through New Year’s. There’s even a mini-ball drop countdown on New Year’s Eve.
Fa-la-la-la at the Farolito Walk
Christmas Eve Farolito Walk, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe’s Canyon Road is a historic arts district home to many galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Every Christmas Eve, the Canyon Road Farolito Walk begins at dusk, when this neighborhood is lit up with hundreds of lanterns known as farolitos (small, sand-filled paper bags illuminated with votive candles) lining its streets and the adobe walls of century-old buildings.
Residents create a festive atmosphere with piñon logs burning in luminarias (small bonfires) and street performers playing holiday carols.
According to an article in The Santa Fe New Mexican, the tradition began in the late 1970s as a celebration of halting the construction of three-story buildings in the neighborhood. Locals loved the holiday lighting and decided to continue the tradition the following year and beyond.
Take a Trip Down Candy Cane Lane
Candy Cane Lane, West Allis, Wisconsin
This suburb of Milwaukee started this tradition in December 1984 to collect donations for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund. It was done in honor of a neighbor’s child who was diagnosed with cancer.
Neighbors in West Allis decided to decorate their houses in unison to inspire visitors driving through to leave a donation.
Their efforts have evolved into what’s now known as “Candy Cane Lane,” which continues today and still raises money for the MACC fund. Its Facebook page posts updates on its annual event.
There’s No Place Like Peacock Lane
Peacock Lane, Portland, Oregon
Every December, this southeast Portland neighborhood becomes a Christmas-y street. Two nights in December are car-free and mentioned on the event’s website and Facebook page, while most of the month’s schedule welcomes cars and pedestrians.
According to Peacock Lane’s website, this tradition has been happening since 1932, with homeowners along the street volunteering to decorate their houses as they wish. Some go all out with their trimmings, featuring life-size replicas of Santa Claus and holiday cartoon characters, while others prefer a subtle approach to their décor.
Portland can get chilly, and this outdoor event also features a Cocoa Booth where visitors can warm up on complimentary hot chocolate or cider. Monetary donations are welcome.
A Miracle has Happened on South 13th Street
The Miracle on South 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This popular, annual holiday light display is along the 1600 block of S. 13th Street, between Tasker and Morris Streets, in the South Philadelphia neighborhood of East Passyunk.
For over three decades, Philadelphia residents have collaborated to create this event’s impressive neighborhood presentations and to support local charities.
From December through the New Year, eclectic and mesmerizing light displays, garland streams, and holiday dioramas brighten this street’s scene. The official Facebook and Instagram pages for “The Miracle on South 13th Street” list details on special events and theme nights.
Dreaming of a White(haven) Christmas
Winterhaven Festival of Lights, Tucson, Arizona
Based near Midtown Tucson, Winterhaven owes both its holiday festival and overall existence to Charles Brady “CB” Richards, who initiated the development of this residential neighborhood in the late 1940s and also named many of its streets, including Christmas Avenue.
Brady’s idea for the Winterhaven Festival of Lights came from his visit to a similar neighborhood light display in Beverly Hills a decade before, and he kept this Christmas scene in mind when designing Winterhaven.
This longtime festival, which runs for 14 days in mid-December, encourages visitors to bring canned goods. They can experience the festival on foot or through tour companies that schedule party bikes, hayrides, or trolley rides.
Rockin’ around Rockmont Lights
Rockmont Lights, Sacramento, California
Sacramento’s Fabulous 40s neighborhood gets a lot of buzz for its over-the-top holiday décor, but another location also gets quite merry and bright. For over 20 years, “Rockmont Lights” has been happening within Sacramento’s North Natomas neighborhood. It originated with a handful of neighbors along Java Court who enjoyed putting up holiday decorations together, and this joy spread throughout Rockmont Circle, with many homeowners also participating.
The neighborhood encouraged visitors to drop off non-perishable food items at an on-site donation barrel early on. This generosity continues today, along with the introduction of a QR code for receiving monetary donations. Organizers established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2020 to support the Sacramento community directly.
“Rockmont Lights” decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving and stay up through New Year’s Eve. Updates are posted on their Facebook and Instagram accounts and you can visit their website.