Enjoy the Festive Sparkle of Holiday Lights in Brooklyn This Year

By Kirstyn Brendlen, Brooklyn Paper

Holiday lights started flicking on across New York City as soon as the Thanksgiving table was cleared, and Brooklyn is celebrating all month long. Here’s a roundup of Christmas tree lightings and other festive celebrations you can’t miss in Kings County this December.

Tuesday, December 3
John Paul Jones Park Tree Lighting
6 p.m., John Paul Jones Park at the corner of 101st Street and 4th Avenue
Light up the tree at John Paul Jones Park with NIA Community Services Network! The celebration starts at 6 p.m. with live music and carolers, plus a visit from Santa as the tree comes on!

Wednesday, December 4
Dyker Park Tree Lighting
6 p.m., Dyker Park at the corner of 86th Street and 14th Avenue
Get in the spirit with the Xaverian Choir and Band, Narrows Community Theater, and carolers at the Dyker Park tree lighting ceremony! Warm up with music and light refreshments, snap a photo with Santa Claus, and enjoy the vibes!

Owls Head Park Tree Lighting
6 p.m. Owls Head Park House at 68th Street and Colonial Road
Join Bay Ridge Cares, Council Member Justin Brannan, and the parks department for a magical evening at Owls Head Park! There will be live tunes with DJ Mr. Kid, snacks and gifts for little ones, Christmas carolers, and even a visit from Santa!

Friday, December 6

Tree Lighting with Sinterklaas at Hendrick I. Lott House
6-8 p.m. Hendrick I. Lott House, 1940 East 36th St. between Fillmore Avenue and Avenue S
This event marks the start of the festive season at the historic Lott House! Welcome Sinterklaas to Marine Park with delicious cookies and hot cocoa. The reindeer are busy, but a few horses from the NYC Parks Mounted Auxiliary Unit will drop by to say hello to visitors!

Saturday, December 7
Fort Greene Park Tree Lighting
4-5 p.m. Fort Greene Park at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street
It’s the 10th annual tree lighting in Fort Greene Park, and the evening is packed with celebrations. As the park lights up, there will be live music and free hot cocoa, and kids will have the opportunity to write a letter to Santa and drop it in a special mail box right beside the tree! Plus, bring a new, unwrapped gift to donate to families in need this season.

Wednesday, December 11
Dumbo Holiday Lighting
5:30 p.m. Dumbo Archway + Plaza at the corner of Pearl and Water streets
Carols, calypso, and cocoa: This celebration is packed full of holiday goodness! The evening begins with a tree lighting at 5:30 p.m. sharp, but the evening doesn’t end there: stick around for holiday music from Curtis J. Social and the Dumbo house band, performances by cheerleaders from P.S. 307 and the Dock Street Middle School, a visit from Santa Claus, holiday-themed projections, and free festive snacks and drinks! If you can, bring a new unwrapped gift for Operation Sleigh Ride, and non-perishable food for the Vinegar Hill Pantry food drive!

Friday, December 13
Diocese of Brooklyn Christmas Tree Lighting
5-7 p.m. Grand Army Plaza at Prospect Park, between Flatbush Avenue, Eastern Parkway, and Prospect Park West
Join Diocesan officials and parishioners from all over Brooklyn and Queens to light up the huge Diocesan tree at Prospect park! The tree will remain lit in red lights 24/7 until January to celebrate the Christmas season.

Wednesday, December 25
Brooklyn’s Largest Menorah Lighting
4 p.m., continues until Jan. 1, 2025, start times differ. Grand Army Plaza at Prospect Park, between Flatbush Avenue, Eastern Parkway, and Prospect Park West
Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at Brooklyn’s Largest Menorah! Ahead of the lighting of the first candle, enjoy a kickoff concert with live music, hot latkes, and gifts for little ones. The celebration continues each night of Hannukah, until Jan. 1, 2025!

Other holiday festivities
If you’re looking for something more, check out the holiday spectacular “Lightscape” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden through January 5; or take a trip down to Dyker Heights to check out the Dyker Lights!

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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