Anyone would be hard-pressed to find a live show that hasn’t been canceled in 2020. But at 106 N. Redbud Ct. in Mahomet, the musical holiday light show will go on.
Over the last decade, homeowner Jason Hodges has re-imagined his holiday world each year, working to make it more efficient and engaging for the audience that sits in his cult-de-sac, tuning their radio into a local station (103.3 this year) where the lights match up to the music.
The holiday tradition begins with Halloween decorations coming down on Nov. 1 only to be followed by the mission to get the show ready for Thanksgiving.
“When we were kids, we would decorate the inside of our house, but we never did anything on the outside,” homeowner Jason Hodges said. “Mom and dad would put us in the car, and take us around to other houses, other towns, other communities. As a kid, I would always wanted to be in a house that people would come and look at.”
This year, Hodges carefully lined the siding of the house and rooftop of his home with tens-of-thousands of lights and his yard with candy canes and holiday icons. The location and theme of the show changes each year, but the Hodges have a special spot near the flagpole with a star on top for the Nativity scene.
“I think there is a point when it becomes too much,” he said. “I think there’s a point when it becomes gaudy, and it doesn’t look good anymore. I’m not there yet.”
Early last week, Hodges could be found at the hardware store, picking up a few more lights for an outdoor Christmas tree that was gifted to him.
But the vision is not one that comes together last minute. It’s something the family of four talks about all year. Once lights are discounted at the end of the holiday season, they begin thinking about what the following year could be.
“Once you’re interested in doing light, you’re always thinking of new things to do, always thinking of new ways to make it better,” he said. “You may not have the time or money to do something this year, but if it’s something you’re passionate about, you’re always thinking about how it could be better the next year.”
It’s a sight that Mahomet residents look forward to year-after-year, too. Hodges said that as the weather turns chilly, he begins getting questions on what is in store between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
“Maybe it’s not the one with the most lights, but at least it’s enough to draw attention so that people see it,” he said. “I have a lot of light for (the Mahomet) community, and I want to add more.”
A few years ago, a boy and his mother came to Hodges door with an ornament, letting him know he has the best lights in Mahomet. Hodges has that ornament on his tree this year.
“That totally makes all the work worth it,” Hodges said.
