As the holiday season gets underway, the annual Dyker Heights Christmas lights are going up in what many call one of the brightest attractions in the city during the season.

Lucille Spata started the tradition at her home in the 1980s to bring some holiday spirit to the neighborhood. She says that she got the idea from her mother who loved to decorate during Christmas.

“My mother was a big decorator, so I just carried it on,” Spata says. “This area was very quiet when I moved here and it wasn’t for me, so I had to just liven it up.”

Viewing the lights is a tradition for many who come from all over to see the reindeer, angels and to take pictures in Santa’s chair.

Taylor Lintz says that she has been coming to see the display since she was a kid.

“I grew up on Long Island, and every single year my dad would take us to go see Christmas lights. It just brings a smile to your face. Like the bright lights, it’s Christmas time,” Lintz says.

The attraction is known to draw large crowds flocking to the houses every year. And while Spata says that there may not be any tour buses of people this year because of the pandemic, she still expects locals to come out. She says that she hopes that her lights will help uplift people who have been through so much.

“This year, more than ever, the kids need enjoyment because it’s affecting them,” Spata says. “School on a computer, everything is computer. They need to have Christmas.”

The lights will be up from now until after the new year.