Long Island's best holiday light displays

It’s the darkest time of the year, which means Long Island’s sparkly displays are shining even brighter.

The creativity, scale and detail these Long Islanders brought to the properties featured in this year’s LI Life Holiday Lights section are sure to dazzle.

Be sure to visit newsday.com/lights to see an interactive map of all these locations and more.

2947 Mandalay Beach Rd., Wantagh

Family: PJ Bruno and Kristen Festa-Bruno, with children Nolan Bruno, Patrick Bruno and Mia Bruno.

Lights on: Everyday from 4 p.m. until 1 p.m.

Lights out: Jan. 2

Love of light: PJ Bruno said he started decorating 35 years ago as a small child living in Elmont along with his late father, Patrick Bruno. He continued to grow his display while moving from Elmont to Garden City to Franklin Square before settling in Wantagh in 2017 where it really took off, he said. The home has about 3,000 lights and over 100 blow molds with risers built for a plastic choir and other figures.

"Every year I just made it bigger and bigger and more professional looking," Bruno said.. "People enjoy it."

Bruno notes the kids as well as friends Chris Oliver and John Casey, both of Massapequa, help. It takes about five days to assemble, he said.

The roof, covered in red and green lights, is the most complicated to decorate taking about two days to complete, Bruno said. He has cut strands to fit and secures every bulb to a shingle with a clip. "Sometimes I question why we're doing it, but it looks great when it's done," he said.

Giving season: The Bruno family is raising money for the nonprofit Joshua Encarnacion Memorial Court Fund. The money will be used to build the Joshua Encarnacion Memorial Sports Court & Multi Sport Turf Field in Wantagh. The field will be named in memory of an 11-year-old boy who died in 2023 after a 14-month fight with a rare and aggressive pediatric cancer.

Construction on the field is set to begin in June 2025.

The display features a sign with an explanation of the project and a QR code which takes you to a GoFundMe page.

109 Glen Summer Rd., Holbrook

Family: Matthew and Diana Murphy with kids, Meadow, Matthew Jr. and Maci.

Lights on: Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. until midnight.

Lights out: Jan. 4

Love of light: The Murphys have about 80,000 LED lights covering the front, side and roof of their house as well as more lights on their homemade arches. Their property also features inflatables and blow molds. "It all started with a few strands of lights covering the front of our house and has grown exponentially each year," Matt Murphy said. "We zip tie our lights to plastic construction fencing that is hung from the house and allows each panel to be taken down and rolled up for storage."

New additions this year include an additional 5,000 LED lights as well as a 16-foot snowman. The family will set up a foam snow-making machine for a few hours the Friday and Saturday night before Christmas, weather permitting, they said.

The Murphys are hosting a "Christmas Palooza" event on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. offering photos with Santa and the Grinch as well as hot chocolate and treats.

This is the 12th year the family has assembled such a display, which they said can take 100 hours to complete, starting a few weeks before Halloween. "It’s a lot of work but well worth it especially when we hear how much people love it and how visiting each year has become a part of their family tradition," Matt Murphy said.

Holiday message: The Murphys said they are proud to share their display with the community and hope that spectators can make memories that will last a lifetime. "I cherish the memories I have of Christmas as a child especially driving around with family looking at all of the beautiful displays, and they inspire me to spread the joy of Christmas to my family and community," Matt Murphy said. "In our neighborhood we are nicknamed the Griswolds, which is a perfect tribute to our love for “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” and Clark Griswold’s iconic decorating."

Giving season: The Murphy family raises money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Donations can be made via a cash donation box on the Murphy's lawn or by visiting facebook.com/glensummerlights.

1439 Sherwood Dr., East Meadow

Family: Mario and Linda Froehlich and their children, Mario, Anthony and Vanessa.

Lights on: Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Lights out: Dec. 31

Love of light: The display features about 28,000 LED pixels (which require a data signal to tell them what to do) that dance to music, Froehlich said. Passersby can listen to the show by tuning in to 87.9 FM or by visiting player.pulsemesh.io on their smartphone. Spectators can vote for the next song by visiting froehlichfamilylights.remotefalcon.com (you must turn on location services to use). Froehlich has a mailbox for letters to Santa and said Santa will reply if the child includes a return address.

Early start: He said it takes about a week to set up his Halloween show and then another week working nights and weekends to convert it to a Christmas show. “But I work on it all year trying to improve the programming, building and fixing props and making it sturdier in the elements,” he said. His neighbor John Doddato also helps.

Holiday message: “I don’t know if I really have a holiday message,” he said. “I enjoy doing it and, when the kids are dancing and smiling in front of my house, it’s nice.”

Giving season: Froehlich is raising money for the Nassau/ Suffolk Autism Society of America. There is a link to donate on his Facebook page at facebook.com/FroehlichFamilyLights.

14 Oxbow Court, East Northport

Creator: Andrew Reid, 19

Lights on: The walk-through display is open every day from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. except during inclement weather or high winds.

Lights off: Dec. 26

Love of light: Reid said he loves everything about Christmas and began amassing his collection four years ago. More than 85% of the display is from broken, discarded and repurposed items that were salvaged by Reid to create the array he calls the “Misfit Island Christmas Spectacular Display.” He continues to accept donations of discarded decor to expand the now 90,000-light display. “As they say, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’ ” he said. “This is truly a treasure.” The decorations fill the Reid family front lawn and include Santas, elves, deer, an abominable snowman, a ballerina and more. There is also a hunt for Santa’s little helpers on the property, where adults and children are asked to locate 10 hidden elves. Reid said he enjoys the project because it is a way to raise money for a good cause while spreading Christmas cheer.

Early start: He said he begins putting lights around the house and rooftop in late August and continues to work in his spare time through November.

Holiday message: Reid said he wants others to know that one person can make a difference and that hard work pays off. “I have done this all by myself, from collecting to repairing to setting up the display, designing it and taking [it] down,” he said.

Giving season: He is raising money for Suffolk County’s first Ronald McDonald House being built at Stony Brook University Hospital. The center is scheduled to open in 2026 and will provide overnight accommodations and meals to families whose children are being treated at the hospital. To donate, visitors can give cash at the Reid home, scan the QR code at the display or visit mygiving.net/campaign/Misfit-Island-Christmas-Lights-Spectacular. Donations are accepted through Dec. 31.

85 Eighth Ave.8th Avenue, Sea Cliff

Family: Anthony and Anastasia Brigis

Lights on: Every day between 5 p.m. and midnight.

Lights out: Sometime in mid-January.

Love of light: Anthony Brigis said he has been decorating his house for 34 years, with no plans of slowing down. “I take a lot of pride in putting together a scene that can be enjoyed at all hours of the day,” Brigis said. This year, the display features snowflakes, bells, roughly 30 wreaths, 15 deer and more. He said he put this year’s display together in about three weeks, which was quicker than usual thanks to some warm weather.
Starring role: The high point of the display is an 11-foot homemade star made of bamboo, wood and rope atop the home’s peak. Brigis, a longtime Boy Scout leader and an Eagle Scout, used a binding technique taught in scouting known as lashing to hold the pieces together. It is tied to a wooden frame for stability, he said.

“This frame also helps hoist the star even higher, making it one of the tallest points in Sea Cliff, visible from blocks away,” Brigis said. The star, now in its fourth iteration, needed a little TLC this season, he said. Brigis removed it from the roof and equipped it with more than 3,000 new lights, “ensuring it stays shining for many years to come.”

Holiday message: Above all else, Brigis wants people to see the lights in person. “It brings my family and me so much joy that so many people enjoy the display and make a point of returning year in and year out,” he said. “If you’ve seen the lights before, thank you. And if you’re new to Sea Cliff or a nearby town, there’s no better time to make our display a small part of your holiday tradition.”

98 Woodrow Parkway, West Babylon

Family: Thomas and Maria Gangone, with kids Nick and Daniella.

Lights on: Weekdays, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., weekends, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., weather permitting.

Lights off: Jan. 1

Love of light: Thomas Gangone said his affinity for decorating for Christmas (and Halloween) started when he was a kid. “I remember looking forward to Newsday’s annual holiday light section and saying that one day I would have my Christmas lights there,” he said. “I would make my parents buy decorations for outside every year.” He began a tradition of over-the-top decorating once he got married and bought his own home 21 years ago. He started small, but the display has grown every year. A few years in, his parents gave him their blow molds, which he added to the collection. “I have a love for vintage blow molds and make sure I include them in my display each year,” Gangone said. The array also features inflatables and giant-size decorations from Home Depot and Lowe’s. Every year the Gangones purchase more. “Everyone always says that we have no room left on the lawn, but my response is “there’s always more room,’ “ he said. Five years ago, they added a Santa mailbox where children can drop off their letters (with a return address) and receive a letter from Santa in the mail.

Early start: Gangone said he starts taking down the Halloween decor and putting up the Christmas lights right after Oct. 31. Not all of them, though. The 12-foot skeleton from Home Depot stays — he just gets outfitted in a Santa costume.

Holiday message: “Christmas decorations make most people happy, so just keep adding more to your Christmas display,” Gangone said. “There’s always room for more!”

Giving season: The Gangones are collecting nonperishable food for Long Island Cares food bank. There is a bin next to the Santa mailbox for visitors to leave donations.

7 Saint Clair St., Deer Park

Family: D.J. Russo along with his cousin, Anthony Imperati and uncle, Wayne Imperati.

Lights on: Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Lights out: Jan. 3

Love of light: Russo said it typically takes four or five days to put the display together, working from the early morning until the sun goes down. This is the fourth year he and his family have assembled such a large array, Russo said. The display features a combination of lights, traditional holiday decorations and more than 300 blow molds. The blow molds fill the yard and include Santa hanging on the house, snowmen, reindeer and gingerbread, all protected by more than 70 toy soldiers and nutcrackers lining a lattice fence. Prominently displayed on the house is a giant “Merry Christmas” sign and illuminated wreaths, and three arches line the driveway.

Holiday message: Russo said, for him, the season is about spreading joy, and he hopes that when people visit, they can feel and see that reflected in the lights. “My goal is for visitors to leave with smiles on their faces and memories having been made, just as I did when I was young with my family visiting displays across Long Island,” Russo said. “May this display add a little extra brightness to your family’s holiday season.”

Giving season: Russo is raising money for the Gary H. Richard and Family Stroke & Brain Aneurysm Center at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip in memory of his father, Johnny Russo, who passed in 2016 from an aneurysm. Russo said he inherited his love of decorating from his dad. Visitors can contribute by dropping a donation into the collection box at the display, scanning the QR code on the sign or by visiting donate-good-samaritan-university-hospital.chsli.org/russo.

44 Mills Rd., Stony Brook

Family: Carmine and Sara Inserra, and their children, from left, Gianna, Gabriella, John and Giulia.

Lights on: Weekdays, 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., weekends, 5 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.

Lights out: Dec. 31

Love of light: The Inserras’ display features more than 30,000 LED pixel lights, and each can change color 40 times per second, according to Carmine Inserra. The property also features one blow mold scene — a Nativity set at the center that only illuminates during certain songs. “It’s my nod and connection to old-school lighting,” he said. Inserra said there are thousands of 3D-printed parts in the show that he designed and printed. “My 3D printer works nearly around the clock printing parts for my show, and for other local extreme lighting enthusiasts,” he said. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Inserra said he had extra time to research and was looking for something different to do for a float in the Three Village Electric Parade and came across the pixel lights and shows. He started small, but four years later the technology has helped it grow into the Christmas spectacle it is today. “Some people like to read, some people knit, some people play video games,” Inserra said. “My pastime is thinking about lights and props.”

Early start: While the lights are Inserra’s passion project, he said the production is a family affair. “Everyone is helping throughout the year to push pixels or assemble props, and even our neighbors lend a hand to help with the display.”

Holiday message: “We like to focus on the true meaning for the Christmas season, Jesus’ birth,” Inserra said. “Most of our songs keep to that theme, but we also have a Hanukkah song for our Jewish friends and neighbors.”

Giving season: The Inserras are collecting money for the Child Life Program at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, which strives to reduce the stress of pediatric patients and their families. Donation information can be found on the family’s website, 3vlights.com.

1 Highland Ave., Great Neck

Family: Stan and Jordana Levine, with kids, Jacob and Ayden and Zachary. Theo the dog mostly supervises.

Lights on: Every day, sunset until 10 p.m.

Lights out: The Hanukkah display comes down Jan. 1, but the winter lights stay on longer.

Love of light: The Levine family has been decking out their Great Neck home for Hanukkah for more than a decade and said the hardest part is finding decorations marketed for those celebrating the Festival of Lights. Sure, every big-box store has inflatable Santa and his reindeer, but try finding a menorah or dreidel. “It’s ridiculously hard,” Stan Levine said. The Levines said they have to branch into a broader winter theme to fill the space. They do have decorations that are explicitly for Hanukkah, like a bear holding a dreidel, menorahs and the Star of David. But the scene also features blue and white lights, snowflakes and snowmen because those items are easier to find, Levine said. “It’s not just Hanukkah. It’s a Hanukkah/winter display,” he said. The family displays about 50 menorahs inside, including one that a passerby left on their doorstep one year, thanking them for their show. They’ve collected an average two new menorahs every year for the past 25 years, Levine estimated.

“We decorate as much inside as we do outside,” he said. When asked how much it costs to keep the lights on, Levine said he’d rather stay in the dark. “I always tell everyone, ‘I’m on balance billing. I know nothing,’ “ he said. (The family creates an even bigger Halloween array, which they said likely eats up more electricity than the winter lights.) To stay in the neighbors’ good graces, the Levines avoid decorations that make sound or flash. “We try to make our display beautiful, but not annoying,” Levine said. “My daughter said we already drive everybody crazy with Halloween. We don’t want to do it twice.”

Holiday message: “The beauty about holidays is bringing people together,” Levine said. “And creating something that everybody can enjoy.” His daughter Ayden’s message was somewhat less sentimental. “What we
want for Hanukkah is more Hanukkah decorations in the stores because nobody has anything,” she said.

745 Arlington Dr., Seaford

Family: Nick and Marissa Dabbraccio and son, Anthony.

Lights on: Every day, 5:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.

Lights off: Jan. 1

Love of light: The Dabbraccio family has created the dazzling display with lights of varying colors for about 10 years. “Each year, there are always some new additions as well as some items that are stowed away for future years,” Marissa Dabbraccio said. “We like to change things up each year.” While light shows synced to music seem to be trending, Nick Dabbraccio said he prefers his “static” display and encourages his visitors to get out of the car to enjoy his quieter array. “The way you enjoy this is by looking at it,” he said. “Those are all very techy. I’ve never been a computer geek like that.” New this year is a pair of 8-foot toy soldiers that greet you at the front door. “We do this each year in hopes that people from all over Long Island drive by and enjoy the lights with their families,” Marissa Dabbraccio said.

As for the electric bill, Nick Dabbraccio said LED lights do far less damage on the meter than their predecessors. “When we switched over to LED from incandescent, it was a big help,” he said. “Back then you’d pray for no fires in the extension cords because you used so much power.”

Early start: The Dabbraccios’ holiday display, featuring several thousand lights, takes a little more than three weeks to assemble.

Their holiday message: “The holiday’s are about family,” Marissa Dabbraccio said. “We hope that everyone can make wonderful family memories this season.”

3286 Messick Ave., Oceanside

Family: Michael and Denise Rossello and daughter, Michelle

Lights on: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily

Lights out: Jan. 4

Love of light: The Rossello family display is more interactive than that of the average decked-out home. There is a snow village — really a snow metropolis — that visitors can view in the garage. “He started small and it got bigger and bigger and bigger,” Denise Rossello said of her husband and his sprawling winter scene. Nearby, the property also includes wooden cutouts for photos, handmade items and animatronics. During a recent evening, the family even distributed hot chocolate and candy canes to visitors. But the standouts might be Rossello’s tributes to “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” You’ll see a mannequin wearing a green puffer jacket ready to plug in an extension cord, a la Clark Griswold, the movie’s family patriarch. You’ll also spot a robe and fur hat-wearing mannequin holding a septic hose connected to a nearby RV, just like cousin Eddie. “My husband loves ‘Christmas Vacation,’ ” Denise Rossello said.

Early start: Mike Rossello said he began decorating at his parents’ home about 25 years ago and continued the tradition at his own home about 10 years ago. He said it takes more than a month to put together.

Holiday message: “It is nice to spread Christmas cheer to not only the younger generation, but the adults as well,” Mike Rossello said.

Giving season: The Rossellos are raising money for the American Cancer Society. Visitors can donate cash in a box by the garage.

229 W. Third St., West Islip

Family: Wayne and Theresa Imperati and their son, Anthony.

Lights on: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Lights out: Jan. 5

Love of light: Wayne Imperati said his love for decorating began in 1987 with just two blow molds, which he still displays. “Over the years, my collection grew until, by 2017, it became impossible to showcase everything,” he said. “That year, I passed my cherished blow mold collection to my son, Anthony.” In 2020, the family leveled up by creating a light show synchronized with music that plays when you tune into 98.5 FM. Today the light displays feature gingerbread people, Santa and his reindeer, a Grinch and more, all flashing in sync with the holiday music.

Early start: The Imperati light show begins the first week of October as they decorate for Halloween. When Halloween is over, the transition to Christmas begins, and the full holiday display officially lights up on Black Friday. Imperati said it takes about two months to get everything decorated and working perfectly. On weekends, he also helps his son and nephew, D.J. Russo, of Deer Park, bring their displays to life. “Our holiday message is simple: to spread peace, love and joy throughout the community,” Wayne Imperati said.

Giving Season: Each year the Imperati display supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation, helping bring smiles to children in need. A box for cash donations sits outside the house.