Whitestone’s World Famous Christmas Lights Are Back On

Kevin Lynch’s Whitestone house won first place in a national Christmas decorations competition for Christmas decorating in 2013. Photo via the 109th Precinct

By Victoria Merlino

Queens Daily Eagle

It’s Christmas again in Whitestone — look no further than the corner of 166th Street and 23rd Avenue.

After a year hiatus, homeowner Kevin Lynch has turned his award-winning lights back on.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” the 109th Precinct wrote in a tweet featuring Lynch’s illuminated home. Lynch’s decorations include vibrant lights and glowing snowmen, penguins, nutcrackers and more.

Lynch’s light tradition began as a friendly competition with him and his neighbor about 20 years ago. Lynch continued to up the ante and, in 2013, his house won first place on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight. Lynch earned national attention as well as a $50,000 prize.

“My goal is to see it from space. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there,” Lynch, a retired firefighter, told the Queens Courier in 2014.

Last year, the Lynch house went dark because, Lynch said, he wanted to enjoy other holiday displays in the neighborhood. The deluge of sightseers also caused traffic and safety concerns. Lynch said he hoped to work more closely with the police to control crowds.

Lynch turned the lights back on on Nov. 23. Lynch took to Facebook to announce the display and said his son Timothy assembled half of the decorations himself.

“Very proud of him,” Lynch wrote. “Mini me when it comes to decorating.”