The 30th anniversary of Harlem Holiday Lights took place Tuesday night on 125th Street featuring a parade of lights to kick off the holiday season.
The parade began with a brief ceremony and countdown before 15 lighted floats from various Harlem businesses and organizations made their way down 125th Street from Broadway to Fifth Avenue.
AmNews photos
The theme for this year’s Harlem Holiday Lights focuses on “Celebrating Our Youth,” featuring two special Grand Marshals including Stephanie Pacheco, NYS Youth Poet Laureate, as well as Grand Marshal Dr. Lena Green, DSW, LCSW, CLC, Executive Director of HOPE Center Harlem. NYC Dept. of Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim also served as an honorary Grand Marshal.
Five new singing trees were also lit up the 125th Street corridor with lighting color spectacles and patterns paying tribute to different musical genres celebrating the diverse sounds of Harlem, from jazz and hip hop to old school, R&B, and classical.
The trees will allow visitors to support nearby local businesses even beyond the holidays through the “Shine On Harlem Challenge” as the trees remain active through March 2024. Visitors can use the Vibemap to navigate the sights, sounds and nearby sales of 125th Street.