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For more hyper-local Brooklyn news on your computer, smartphone, or iPad, visit BrooklynPaper.com
BY ELISSA ESHER
You know Dyker Heights
and Dyker Lights, but have
you heard of Dyker Frights?
Horror enthusiast and longtime
Dyker Heights resident
Anthony George is turning
the Christmas light capital of
Brooklyn into a spooky wonderland
with his annual Halloween
yard decorations. Consisting
of animatronic creatures, live
actors and a sprawling smorgasbord
of sinister ornaments
spanning three lawns, George’s
so-called “Dyker Frights” attracted
an estimated 1,500 visitors
from all over the tri-state
area on October 31st this year,
and that number is only growing.
“The block was packed,”
said John Napoli, a Dyker
Heights resident who was outside
George’s home on Halloween
night. “People are spreading
the word so it’s been getting
more and more popular every
year.”
For the past 15 years, George
has decorated his home located
on 79th Street between 11th and
12th streets in mid-September
and left the spook-tacular scene
up until mid-November. Always
working alone, Dyker Frights
took George two full days of decorating
when he fi rst started.
Today, he said it takes him ten
hours, even though the number
of decorations has grown to the
point of fl ooding into the lawns
of two obliging neighbors.
“I have it down to a science,”
said George, who works as a
graphic designer when he isn’t
busy spooking-up the neighborhood.
After the animatronics,
lights, and audio recordings
are prepared, George enlists
his friends and family to hide
themselves amid the robot
ghouls, surprising children
by suddenly springing to life.
Fortunately, George’s wife was
on hand to pass out some 7,200
pieces of candy at her husband’s
hand-crafted carnival.
“I bring my nephews and
their friends every year,” said
Napoli. “They were scared silly
when I fi rst took them, they’d
never seen anything like it before.
But, ever since then, they
look forward to it — they ask
me all the time if we’re going
to ‘that house.’ I think they like
the challenge of it.”
Unlike Dyker Heights’
Christmas lights, Community
Board District Manager Josephine
Beckmann says Dyker
Frights has received a fairly
small amount of complaints
from residents in the area, even
as attendance and press coverage
continues to rise.
Even so, 79th Street residents
have already taken action
to ensure that their block
stays safe as the display become
more popular. In past years, the
city sent cops to monitor the
block on Halloween night, but
this year 79th Streets residents
worked with Councilman Justin
Brannan to get a block party
permit, completely shutting
down traffi c on the block and
keeping visitors at ease as children
enjoyed George’s haunted
display and trick-or-treated at
the block’s other boo-tifully
decorated homes.
“I heard only positive feedback
from the area residents
who enjoyed the Dyker Frights
display this year and the residents
on 79th Street,” said Beckmann.
This year’s display will stay
up and welcome visitors for another
week, if not longer, according
to George. He said he
has no plans to branch out from
creepy decor.
“I just like it better than
Christmas, so why would I?”
said George. “But it’s great living
in a neighborhood where
we celebrate every holiday to
the fullest.”
A 10-year-old dressed as a twisted
doll blended in among the anamatronic
creatures at Dyker Frights
and spooked onlookers.
From left, Mariangela Antonacci, Lorenzo Napoli, Giuseppe Antonacci,
Filippo Antonacci Jr., and many other children this Halloween under the
disguise of Freddy Kruger. Photos by John Napoli
Lights to Frights!
Halloween decorator turns Dyker Heights in spook central
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/BrooklynPaper.com