About Harlem Holiday Lights

Celebrating the 27th Annual Harlem Holiday Lights Bringing Cheers

The 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with Manhattan Community Boards 9 and 10 is pleased to announce ------ Harlem Holiday Lights 2020 is still on!!! This has been a hard year for our nation and especially the Harlem community due to COVID-19. Although we have been forced to make adjustments to protect the health and safety of community members, we are not canceling the 27-year tradition! Instead we will be BRINGING CHEERS!

Starting the week of November 16th and continuing until December 31st.

HHL 2019 - Photo New York Amsterdam News

In response to the COVID-19's safety requirements, we have produced a festival with both in-person and virtual components. We are bringing back a number of our signature events in a way that will support the community and is an engaging and exciting virtual experience.

Children's Village 2019

Karaoke 2019

Our new website, www.harlemlightitup.vamonde.com, has been designed to include storytelling, to archive photos and videos of Harlem's past and present, to list Harlem Holiday events, to promote holiday deals, and to promote those who have made and continue to make Harlem great.

What to Expect at the 2020 Harlem Holiday Lights

With the community's safety in mind, Harlem Holiday Lights will be mostly online. Activity highlights include street decorations, live-streamed events, interactive education and entertainment, health resources, small business webinars, and, of course, holiday shopping deals. Despite going online, the 125th Street BID sees this year's event as a greater opportunity for community engagement and unity.

Returning Activities

New This Year

The History of Harlem Holiday Lights

Dating back to 1993, Harlem Holiday Lights is an annual event that brings the community together to celebrate Harlem's great heritage and the start of the holiday season. It engages community organizations to showcase the best of Harlem. The event started merely with minimal street decorations. Over the years, it has grown to become one of Harlem's annual events. The event encourages shoppers to take advantage of the many businesses on 125th Street and to bring the Harlem community together to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Beginning in 2010, the BID began to collaborate with Community Boards 9 and 10 to ensure the continuation of the event and to open up the door for more community participation.

Through partnerships with a number of community organizations, the 125th Street BID coordinates a full night of family-friendly holiday activities.

Each year, 125th Street becomes a sea of lights.

Get a preview of Harlem Holiday Lights below!

The 27th Annual Harlem Holiday Lights will take place from November 16, 2020 to November 21, 2020.

For more information about the offerings at this year's Harlem Holiday Lights, please visit the pages under this adventure!

125th Street is more than a commercial strip; it is a shopping district that is situated in the middle of a historical African American community that is rich in arts, culture, and a community commitment for the preservation of its achievements.