Interview: MAGIC OF LIGHTS' Ken Hudgens Sharing His Holiday Memories With Carloads

FunGuys Events' holiday lights extravaganza MAGIC OF LIGHTS makes its Angel Stadium premiere November 19, 2021. In the safety of your own vehicle, audiences can drive through to view the two-million-lights-lit holiday displays including "Prehistoric Christmas," "Big Foot Monster Trucks," "Snow Flurry Tunnel," "12 Days of Christmas," "Toyland" and "Enchanting Tunnel of Lights."

Had to opportunity to discover some behind-the-scenes facts and history from MAGIC OF LIGHTS' CEO and owner Ken Hudgens.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Ken!

Besides your Angel Stadium site in Anaheim, I see 19 other venues you're installing your MAGIC OF LIGHTS show. What was the original inspiration for this incredible light show?

The partners who own MAGIC OF LIGHTS all come from a live entertainment background. As a matter of fact, we were part of the team who put on Monster Jam and Supercross at Angel Stadium way back in the beginning in the 90's. We all thought there was a pretty big gap in the holiday drive through space - and believed families would love a big, huge drive-through show. We started with three events, and now will do 20+ this year! The growth and success have been incredible.

Did you grow up with lots of Christmas lights and decorations?

Really, that what was true inspiration for our show - growing up with holiday lights as a tradition in our families. We wanted to create an experience that would connect the moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas to the feeling they had as kids - and be able to have that experience with their own kids and grandkids. The show has more of an old school feel - with some modern touches and bells and whistles - to connect to the old-time holiday spirit.

What criteria do you look for in picking your MAGIC OF LIGHTS sites?

Large markets, large footprint venues that have a really good, engaged and passionate staff. We rely on our venue partner for a lot of the day-to-day staff that operates the venue, so the more they are involved in all aspects of the show - marketing, sponsors, running the event - the better. It's a local event first and foremost. So, Angel Stadium is perfect - lots of people in the area, fantastic venue everyone knows - great staff. If checks all the boxes.

As a former COO of Feld Entertainment, you must have been responsible for their overall administrative issues. As CEO and owner of MAGIC OF LIGHTS, do you also deal with the creative as well as the administrative concerns?

For sure - I have always been a creative guy first. Whether it was what went into the Monster Truck show, how we presented Supercross - and now what holiday light displays we have in the show and how they are presented. I have always been a creative at heart.

How many people do you have in your crew to set up each location in your allotted 3750 manhours?

It depends on the location, how long we have to set up and tear down the show - and how many of the people are our employees and how many are the venue employees. I would say sixty total people over the course of six weeks would be typical.

Do you source your two-million-plus lights and 12.6 miles of light cord per MAGIC OF LIGHTS event locally at each city site?

I wish! No, we are already ordering all the bulbs, cord, steel and everything else for our new displays for the 2022 season. We are building displays all year round - 52 weeks a year at our Medina, Ohio facility. It's Christmas every day there!

How long does it take to dismantle each show when the run is done?

Typically, it takes less than half the time to tear the show down as it does to put it up. The show is then stored in four to six 53' trailers locally until next year. We usually move or change 30% of the show each year by moving displays from one show to another so they displays are new/fresh - or building new displays every year to add into the show.

Since spectators are safely cocooned in their own vehicles, were you able to successfully stage MAGIC OF LIGHTS last winter during lockdown? Or did you just skip last year?

Actually with COVID, last year was very good. MAGIC OF LIGHTS was one of the only entertainment activities families could actually do - and do together. It worked out well, and we were super grateful to provide families some safe haven entertainment!

Would you describe your biggest, most complicated light display?

I would say "12 Days of Christmas." We try to make the experience a "story" for each module of the show. "12 Days" is big - many pieces, but we try to tell story and keep it simple as well.

Also - we have added "Prehistoric Christmas" this year - which is a dinosaur base display. The T-Rex is HUGE!

You partnered with Grant Reeves and your former Feld Entertainment cohorts Tim Murray, Eric Cole, to form FunGuys Events. What motivated you to create FunGuys?

Well, we were all looking for something we could make big and each of us brought a skill set that complimented the others. Plus, wanted to work with friends and wanted to have a little more freedom and fun. I think we have achieved all of that with MAGIC OF LIGHTS.

What other events does your FunGuys Events produce during the nonholiday seasons?

All the partners of MAGIC OF LIGHTS produce other events - Grant owns DockDogs which is huge (you have probably seen it on TV - dogs jumping into pools for height, distance and speed) as well as a Dog Training franchise called Dog Wizard - and Tim, Eric and I own Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live. We are looking at some other entertainment ideas to launch together as well!

What challenge you surmounted in setting up a FunGuys production are you most proud of?

No question, that would be Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts last year. We had to call an audible on the location at the last minute and ended up at Gillette Stadium. We literally had trucks on the way to another location and had to turn them around and send them to Foxborough. It ended up being our biggest event ever with +120,000 cars over the holiday run.

When you were a kid, did you ever think you'd grow up to be responsible for a production like MAGIC OF LIGHTS?

Ha! No way! Somehow, I grew up to be an expert in two things - monster trucks and holiday lights. Life takes some strange turns for sure.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

100% I wanted to play pro basketball as a kid growing up - I never even considered I wouldn't make it! I played college basketball at Eastern Washington University - but that was as far as that dream got!

What did you study for?

I went to school and got my master's degree in sports management. I was on my way to being a college athletic director or commissioner of a college conference. My goal in life at that point was to be the commissioner of the Big Ten, or the athletic director at Illinois or Northwestern. (I grew up in Illinois.)

Is there a new production idea brewing in the back of your creative brain?

Always - I think the holiday space is so huge. We have plans for holiday walk-through shows - and also plans to expand into other holidays (Halloween for sure). We will see what comes next!

Thank you again, Ken! I look forward to experiencing your MAGIC OF LIGHTS.

Thank you, looking forward to you checking it out!

For tickets (per carload) for MAGIC OF LIGHTS at the Angel Stadium venue November 19th through December 26th, as well as for schedules of other locations; log onto www.magicoflights.com

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