Holiday Lights for the Neighborhood
New York, NY
The Lower East Side Partnership (LESP) is launching a neighborhood holiday snowflake lighting installation, bringing festive illumination to Grand Street and Orchard Streets for the 2025/2026 holiday season. The project includes 24 snowflake lights stretching along Grand Street from East Broadway to Forsyth Street and extending up Orchard Street from Grand to Delancey.
The initiative began when longtime neighborhood champion Daisy Paez, speaking on behalf of many local residents, approached LESP with a request to brighten a single stretch of Grand Street, between Pitt and Clinton Streets, which long lacked the lighting found in other commercial areas of the Lower East Side. Inspired by the community’s enthusiasm and with support from local elected officials and Manhattan Community Board 3 (CB3), LESP expanded the concept into a 24-light installation designed to bring warmth, visibility, and a shared sense of celebration to the neighborhood.
To mark the debut of this new lighting effort, there will be a holiday lighting event on Tuesday, December 2 at 4:00 PM on Grand Street between Willett and Pitt Streets.
Daisy, along with our community, will ceremoniously activate the first set of snowflake lights, honoring her vision and the residents who helped inspire the project. Henry Street Settlement will provide hot chocolate for attendees, adding a festive touch as the community gathers. The remaining snowflakes throughout the district will illuminate the following evening and continue shining nightly throughout the holiday season and into the new year.
The installation was made possible through the collaboration of:
Local elected representatives and Manhattan Community Board 3 (CB3), whose support and vision helped make the Lower East Side holiday lights a reality.
NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), for providing necessary permitting and logistical support.
City 1 Maintenance, for the professional installation of the lighting.
“These snowflakes reflect the creativity, energy, and community pride that define the Lower East Side,” said Brady Rice, Economic & Community Development Director at LESP. “We’re thankful to Daisy, our residents, and our partners for helping us introduce a new source of light and celebration to our neighborhood.”
“The holiday lights are going to brighten many lives during a time of uncertainty,” said Daisy Paez. “The community, including residents, business owners, and even bus drivers as they turn their route's last corner, will be uplifted and inspired with a vision of hope.”
For more information about the Lower East Side Partnership and its neighborhood initiatives, please contact:
Brady Rice
Economic & Community Development Director
brady@les.nyc