Dyker Heights Christmas lights return in time-honored and beloved holiday season tradition

The Dyker Heights Christmas lights are back on display for New York City to see.

New photos taken by DailyMail.com photographers show what can only be considered one of New York’s most festive areas, as dozens of homes are adorned with Santas, nativity scenes and thousands of Christmas lights.

More than 100,000 people visit the Christmas display that hits the Brooklyn neighborhood every year, by some estimates, with tourists and locals alike looking to get into the holiday spirit…or snap the perfect holiday photo!

The video shows houses up and down the streets of Dyker Heights decked out in lights of all colors as visitors push their way through the crowds to get the best angle on the various displays.

Visitors stop to take pictures in front of an ‘illuminated’ house along a Brooklyn street

One house, uncannily resembling the McCallister residence from ‘Home Alone’, has a nutcracker standing guard at the door.

This Dyker Heights resident didn’t let his ‘Grinch’ neighbors steal the fun when it came to decorating for the holiday season.

A family that spoke with PIX11 He said that they were in the neighborhood visiting a relative and were suddenly inspired by seeing the Christmas decorations.

“The lights are really cool, and there are so many, and there are bubbles everywhere,” said 10-year-old Emily Casamento.

The family told the local TV station they couldn’t stop ‘hearing and aahing’ at the colorful displays as they moved through the neighborhood.

When asked what her favorite part was, 11-year-old Juliet Casamento said, “All the decorations and moving enlargements.”

The neighborhood, which has been putting on the show on a grand scale for more than two decades, has certainly earned its place on the list of the most iconic places to visit in New York at Christmas.

The tradition began in 1986 with a single house owned by Angelo and Lucy Spata.

A boy stares in amazement as he looks at a Grinch-y display in uptown Brooklyn

This house comes equipped with its own throne for Santa and hundreds of nutcrackers, angels, snowmen and Santa figurines.

A police officer guides traffic just outside a house displaying at least five inflatable decorations while a food truck sits on the corner to accommodate hungry visitors.

“It started as a tradition with my mother, so I honor her memory with the decorations,” Lucy Spata told PIX11 News. ‘And then my husband passed away three years ago, and he always keeps doing this.’

Once darkness falls in December, there are tour buses packed with out-of-towners, food trucks on many corners, and traffic-choked streets littered with pedestrians and trash.

However, the Dyker Height show has also seen its fair share of controversy and rejection.

“When he appeared in Conan O’Brien, he turned out to be something nobody expected,” said Larry, a Dyker Heights homeowner.

It’s going to be a ‘Green Christmas’ for this homeowner who opted for a mostly monochromatic scheme for his home.

Some estimates indicate that 100,000 people visit the Brooklyn borough each Christmas

Some visitors decide they don’t even need to leave their car to really enjoy the lights and sounds of the streets.

A delighted onlooker takes a photo of one of the impressive light displays at a home in Dyker Heights in late November.

The abominable ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ snowman stands outside this property which also features at least three different colors of Christmas lights.

It has been an ongoing fight for those who hate it and want it to end.

In 2017, residents who participated in the festive display were outraged by the “eye pain” it caused those who did not participate.

This is a residential neighborhood, not Times Square! said Vella-Marrone, who worked with the Dyker Heights Civic Association.

One resident even described what many see as a nice holiday event as a ‘party out of control’.

In addition to the lights and visitors, food trucks are often parked on long stretches of streets as a sign of just how massive the event has become.

Some visitors travel from Japan to enjoy the street as well as other major New York City exhibits.

Other homes in the neighborhood are kept simple with classic candy cane colors like white and red.

The masses come to the small Brooklyn neighborhood for the perfect photo and video during the holiday season.

While some homes choose not to participate in the tradition, others go for lights, explosions and figurines.

But where is Rodolfo? Santa Claus is led by reindeer in a lawn display

Despite the negativity, the show must go on for those who decide to go all out for the crowds.

A member of the Temperino family who spoke to PIX11 said they don’t mind the visitors as it is a way to bring the community and their own family together. Adrienne said her father spends at least two days a year getting ready.

“People go out and connect,” Temperino said. “It’s about the joy and magic of Christmas.”