Dyker continues to deck its halls at annual McKinley tree lighting

Dyker decked the halls once more on Thursday, December 8 at one of its most grandiose holiday-time events.

Local residents, young and old, gathered that evening at William McKinley Park, located at the intersection of Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton Parkways, for another local tree lighting, this one sponsored by State Senator Marty Golden in cooperation with the Dyker Heights Civic Association.

“You have no idea how great this is, even though it’s a little chilly and it’s a little cold, that we are actually doing a tree lighting without rain,” said Golden at the event, which kicked off at 6:30 p.m. to clear skies, unlike its predecessors this season. “It’s a great night. We’ve got everything that makes this city work right here in front of us so that we can do a tree lighting, so that we can remember what Christmas is all about.”

Christmas, Golden said, “is about keeping Christ in Christmas, doing what’s right for our community, remembering who we are, where we came from and where our children are going.”

Event-goers were treated to complimentary hot chocolate, cookies and, of course, a visit from old Saint Nick himself, as well as a special performance by students of Dyker Heights Intermediate School, I.S. 201.