By Lil Nickelson and Photos by Rudy Collins
Dating back to 1993, the Harlem Holiday Lights celebration is New York City’s only holiday lights parade, and it offers an unforgettable experience for people of all ages.
On Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, The Parade of Lights event started at 6pm along the parade route that began along 125th Street with the lead float parked at Amsterdam Avenue, and additional floats stationed along Old Broadway on the west side and stretches as far east as Fifth Avenue. From the breathtaking lights, over twenty floats, more than forty watch areas hosted by local businesses and organizations, this event offers something for everybody.
Coordinated by Barbara Askins, president & CEO of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with Manhattan Community Boards 9 and 10, as well as Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, and Columbia University. A variety of community groups and merchants had their own floats included in the parade of lights as well as many local businesses hosted in-store activities and promotions or hosted in front of their store outdoor activities along the parade route (see map of parade route and stops).
This year is the 31st annual event with a theme of “Dance – Harlem’s Heartbeat,” to celebrate Harlem’s rich dance history which spans generations from the Harlem Renaissance including the Charleston, the Lindy Hop to hip-hop dance styles of the 21st century to this day.
American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland is the grand marshal, and Tony Award winning choreographer, and Harlem resident George Faison as recognized as the first legacy award recipient for his contributions to Harlem’s dance history. The float carrying Misty Copeland and Barbara Askins lead the parade as was adorned with this year’s dance theme. The float carrying George Faison followed, and photographer Rudy Collins and I were able to join George’s caravan of riders thanks to long time Harlem resident marketing and public relations strategist Raymond P. Lewis.
Harlem Holiday Lights offered entertainment all night long, and the evening weather was a nice fall evening and people were out cheering and photographing the floats as they lined the sidewalks as the floats headed east on 125th Street, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., 116th Street, Malcolm X Blvd. (Lenox Avenue), 135th Street, 132nd Street, Mount Morris Park West, Madison Avenue, and then headed west on 125th Street to Morningside Avenue before the caravan ended on 124th Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue, across the street from Faison Firehouse Theater.
As everyone disembarked from the floats, Rudy got Barbara to take a few photos with Misty and the local politicians available like NYS Senator Cordell Cleare and NYS Assemblyman Al Taylor. I commented to Barbara, who looked like a vision that had an extraordinarily long day, “This event gets bigger and better every year.” Barbara humbly thanked me for the compliment and stated how it takes a village to pull something like this off and I am grateful to all the volunteers for their efforts.
It was a fun free event, and the public enjoyed the breathtaking lights, over twenty floats, and family-friendly excitement like karaoke and trivia games and giveaways at the various activity stations and tents along the streets of Harlem; the Parade of Lights is Harlem’s way to celebrate holiday season 2024.
East Harlem For The Holidays 2024
East Harlem has put on its own flavor to celebrating the holidays. Uptown Grand Street into a thriving corridor by delivering programs that put advocacy into action through collaborations with businesses, residents, and neighborhood organizations across East Harlem.
UGC elves are hard at work along East 125th Street wrapping bright lights on their street trees to bring the extra night light all the way down to street level — adding to both seasonal cheer and sidewalk safety during these long, dark winter months. UGC thanks the local small business Urban Garden Center for being their Winter Lights partner, and to Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala for sponsoring.
UGC, with help from their friends at Union Settlement have put together a digital map guide to all that is going on in East Harlem neighborhoods. From the Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta, to the East Harlem Holiday Tree and ice skating in White Park, Kwanzaa celebrations, to the 10th Annual Universal Pasteles Contest and Three Kings Day.
The East Harlem for the Holidays Digital Map helps you find out all that is going on from now through Three Kings Day. The map territory covers south to north from 99th Street to 132nd Street and east from 5th Avenue over to Harlem River Drive.
Go to https://eastharlemalliance.org/ and start making your holiday plans for visiting East Harlem this holiday season.
Lil Nickelson
Lil Nickelson is a Senior Consultant with an MBA degree focused on Finance and Financial Management Services from New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Skilled in sales, management, business development, marketing strategy, and social media, with a history of working in the food and beverages industry. Her column “Dining with Miss Lil” has been featured in Harlem newspapers and with Harlem World Magazine for numerous years.
Rudy Collins
Harlem photographer of the beautiful brownstones and things Harlem for 20+ years. He has been a photographer with Harlem World Magazine since 2016. Find more of Rudy’s book “Harlem is Art ll” on Blurb and his work on Fine Art America. Read his Rudy’s World column.
For more information go to Rudy Collins.
Photo credit: Rudy Collins.
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