Hykes brings the Christmas spirit to life at Kennywood's Holiday Lights

By: Mark Frazee | Content Manager

While you probably don’t recognize costumed character team member Christopher Hykes, there’s a very good chance you’ve seen or interacted with him if you’ve ever been to Holiday Lights or Phantom Fall Fest. He has brought dozens of characters to life over the past 16 years - not just portraying them, but literally creating them. He’s also never missed a single Holiday Lights operating day, and only three Phantom Fright Nights/Fall Fest operating dates since 2008. That's when his Kennywood story began.

“My wife and I came here as guests in August 2008 when they had open auditions for Phantom Fright Nights,” Christopher says. “ I thought it would be fun to do for a year or two. [Haunts Senior Supervisor] Scott was my interviewer, and he thought I’d be a good fit for the roving characters.”

Christopher quickly noticed Phantom Fright Nights was missing a very important component: the actual Phantom.

"We didn't have a Phantom," he says. "So I made the costumed based on the ride's logo. Funnily enough, some people still don't always realize he's the actual Phantom. That led to me designing the giant Pumpkin Monster as well. With characters, you have the idea and see if you can pull it off."

As Christopher's craftiness was quickly noticed,  our operations team enlisted his help when Holiday Lights debuted in 2011. He created and portrayed the Gingerbread Man the first two weekends. That’s when he debuted the infamous Holiday Lights Nutcracker.

“I made the Nutcracker because the Gingerbread Man was originally made of a mattress – it was very warm,” Christopher jokes. “I needed an alternate, so I decided on a Nutcracker. It’s been so fun. He’s a little bit creepy (a nod to Fall Fest) but he very much embodies the Christmas holiday and the spirit of Christmas.”

And while Christopher says the Nutcracker character is who embodies the spirit of Christmas, it’s him who has brought the Nutcracker to life since that very first season – and him and him alone who has portrayed the Nutcracker since 2015. And as Holiday Lights has been around longer and longer, Christopher's characters themselves have become a staple of Holiday Lights.

“I have families that have gotten photos with me for years,” Christopher says. “I believe to have taken 200,000 photos over the years. There have been nights where I’ve taken 1,200 in a single night. I keep track.”

"He himself has become a Kennywood tradition for our holiday seasons," says Marie Ruby, Director of Operations. "He's creative, between making his own costumes and helping people with theirs. People come to Holiday Lights expecting to see Kenny Kangaroo and the Nutcracker. Chris really has a passion for both his artwork and for Kennywood."

Christopher says it's the little moments that keep him coming back.

“I have this one family that comes, and somebody showed me a photo of the little girl from 2013. Now she brings her own little girl and they get a picture with me every year,” Christopher says. “The fact that I can be part of people’s holiday traditions is an honor. This isn’t just a job. This is part of Christmas for so many people now. I think that’s why I try to be here every day. It’s addictive.”

It's no mistake that you're likely to see the Nutcracker waving guests goodbye near the Goodnight Heart of the end of the night.

“What people remember is the last thing out the door,”  Christopher says. “One time, after the park had closed, this middle-aged woman stop and asked for a picture. I was walking back to the dressing room, but I wasn’t going to tell her no. Next thing I know, her eyes filled with tears. She said, ‘this is for my mom. She loved nutcrackers.’ Her mom had just passed away,” Christopher recalls, his own eyes filling with tears. "I've taken pictures with everyone from newborns to people where it may be their last-ever trip to Kennywood. And so it’s a lifetime of memories for both us and the people that come here."

Christopher’s dedication has not gone unnoticed. Our annual Phantom Fall Fest Award to the Team Member that displays exemplary passion, dedication and performance was renamed the Golden Scarecrow Award in honor of Christopher, who originally portrayed a scarecrow during Halloween.

“The fact they named that after me is something I’ll never forget,” Christopher says. “I’m getting older – I won’t be able to do this forever. One of these days I’m just not going to be able to do it. But hopefully I’ve left a little bit of me here, too.”

There's no doubt he has. And if the Nutcracker embodies the spirit of Christmas, there's no doubt Christopher embodies the spirit of Kennywood.