Coming from near and far, festive fans gather to see the spectacular homes, but there’s so much more going on behind the scenes.
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The most extravagant Christmas light displays in the country are located in the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn, also known as the “Dyker Lights.”
It has become one of the most treasured and sought-after New York attractions during the holiday season.
That’s exactly why A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours CEO and Founder Tony Muia started the Christmas Lights Tour of Dyker Heights in 2006.
“Growing up in Brooklyn, the [Dyker] Heights was always the place that we all went to, to see the Christmas lights. It wasn’t a matter of going to Manhattan,” he told The U.S. Sun.
A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours popularized the shining scene as a means to bring both tourism to the borough and highlight hidden gems.
Now in its 17th year, Tony is proud to call it the original and most authentic tour of the area.
Over 100,000 people flock to the area every year to see the most over-the-top decorations including life-sized Santas, sleighs, and snowmen taking over the neighborhood’s homes.
Some houses even blast popular Christmas carols from loudspeakers.
Tourists have come to see the shining display from all over the United States, as well as from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, France, France, Spain, Mexico, and more.
“The undisputed king of Christmas pageantry is in like our Heights, and for me, it was sort of bringing it back to the homegrown level,” he said.
Tony doesn’t know the exact numbers but estimated that some homeowners spend tens of thousands of dollars each winter on their lights and festive decorations.
It depends on whether or not they’re using home decorators and how extravagant they want it to be.
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The Donofrio family home is a popular stop on Tony’s Christmas tour.
It is one of the many homes in the area that use professionals to transform their homes.
To maintain privacy from tourists, there is a small decorated sign on the front steps warning them to stay off the property.
“Some of those homes are enormous, so it could take anywhere from one to three days to get everything completed. A couple of weeks if people do it slowly,” he added.
Tony said that homeowners start putting up their decorations right after Thanksgiving, some even before.
For long-standing homeowner Lucy Spata, it was always important for her to light up on Thanksgiving itself.
But this year, she called Tony to say she was lit up earlier in November.
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Lucy started the tradition of “Dyker Lights” back in 1986 as a tribute to her mother and husband.
Her house is one of the most recognized and iconic ones in the Brooklyn neighborhood, and she has no plans on stopping anytime soon.
Tony says her aim is to give something to those people who don’t have the time or money to go to Manhattan, the Rockefeller Center and other famous NYC attractions.
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“She’s had people propose in front of her house.
“In December, someone who had just gotten married went to her house to get their wedding shot,” Tony divulged.
She feels very proud that people want to include her home in their special moments.
Lucy told The U.S. Sun: “It’s an honor that everyone loves what I do and it will continue.”
She takes the tradition so seriously that it’s literally in her will.
Her children and grandchildren legally won’t get the house unless they decorate it every year.
It’s a priority for her to follow through with the tradition that her mother started.
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Resident Frank Fogliano lives around the corner from Lucy.
His home is referred to as Emerald City for its similarity to the capital city in the fictional story Wizard of Oz.
He adds in some white lights to offset the bold use of green color.
Extravagantly lighting your home isn’t an easy or cheap feat, and it definitely impacts your energy bills.
Lucy shared that it’s like “running your air conditioner all summer long.”
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Neighborhood favorite Sam Bilas has been decorating his house for 39 years.
He doesn’t use decorators and prides himself in doing it all himself.
He has over 300,000 lights on the house, and it surely stands out.
As a way to cut costs, many people have shifted to LED lights to be more energy efficient.
Many of the Dyker Heights owners who participate in the lights tour don’t just light up their homes for fun.
They also use it to raise awareness for multiple causes and charitable organizations.
A neighborhood resident who was a cancer survivor wanted to give back with a Toyland-themed house.
He gave out toys to children who also survived cancer and their families.
There is a man in another house who allows a family member whose son has a certain form of muscular dystrophy to raise funds for research.
Some people can go all out and do a little bit more than others, but Tony said that at the end of the day, it all comes down to the holiday and the meaning of a holiday.
He explained: “It’s never been about a competition. I think people realize that what they’re doing is contributing to the overall sentiment, if you will, and celebration of the neighborhood.”
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