Where To Find Holiday Lighting Displays On The Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — There's good news for Upper East Siders looking to avoid the crowds at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this year: several holiday displays are already lit up around the neighborhood, providing the chance to celebrate closer to home.

The Department of Parks & Recreation is lighting up the five boroughs with special seasonal displays at 80 sites across New York City, including on the Upper East Side.

"We know that throughout this challenging year, people have looked to our parks for refuge and recreation, and we want to continue inspiring joy by spreading holiday cheer," Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver said in a statement. "We hope that our lights can help illuminate the hearts of all New Yorkers as we celebrate the holidays and what they mean to us all."

Below is a list of all the parks department's planned holiday displays on and near the Upper East Side. More sites will be added to this map as they light up.

• Gracie Mansion Tree Lighting Display — Park Information
• John Finley Walk Menorah Lighting Display — Park Information
• St. Catherine's Park Menorah Lighting Display — Park Information
• Sutton Place Parks Menorah Lighting Display — Park Information
• Randalls Island Park Seasonal Holiday Display — Park Information

Or, check out the Rockefeller Center tree, which has attracted even more attention than usual this year because of the owl that briefly stowed away in its branches.

The owl-free tree is open to the public through early January, but people must sign up online for a timed entry pass to see it. Here's how to visit.

Maya Kaufman contributed reporting.