Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
I spoke with co-founders Steve Sheldon and Charity Hill as they reflected on EPIC Entertainment Group’s nationwide slate of holiday-season projects. Their work once again blends inventive storytelling, elevated design, and seamless production into experiences that reshape how guests engage with seasonal traditions.
This year’s programming begins with the return of Hersheypark’s Dark Nights in Pennsylvania, now in its fourth season. In partnership with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, EPIC manages casting, costuming, makeup, and talent operations for hundreds of performers. The 2024 expansion introduces a new haunted house, an additional scare zone, and enhanced atmospheric elements that deepen the cinematic feel of the event.
On the West Coast, Pacific Park’s historic Santa Monica Pier now features the newly reimagined Funhouse, a 2,800-square-foot walkthrough inspired by the legendary Toonerville Funhouse of nearly a century ago. EPIC designed nine interactive chambers filled with illusions, effects, and a narrative tied to the Pier’s colorful past. Since its September debut, the attraction has drawn steady attendance and enthusiastic public response, merging nostalgia with contemporary experiential design.
EPIC also returns to Hotel del Coronado for its winter celebration, "A Holiday in Oz," running November 21 through January 4. Guests follow a themed path through immersive décor and installations, highlighted by the annual 12-minute light show on the historic Norfolk Island Pines. More than 75,000 synchronized lights, choreographed to festive music and culminating in snowfall, illuminate the century-old trees in a dramatic holiday display.
Furthering the Oz theme, EPIC introduces a collection of character-based holiday trees. Along the property’s "Yellow Brick Road," four 12-foot trees represent Dorothy and Toto, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Woodman, each designed with details that reflect its character. A 22-foot Grand Teton Lobby Tree, themed “The Road to Oz,” anchors the interior with emerald, silver, and ruby tones and a sweeping yellow ribbon motif. Additional installations include a towering Wicked Witch of Oz tree and a 25-foot Glinda of Oz tree.
Across the Pacific, EPIC brings its seasonal touch to The Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay. The property is accented with holiday greenery, sparkling lights, and a sculpted Honu made entirely of dried moss, symbolizing wisdom and good fortune. A "Let It Snow" element introduces gentle flurries, blending tropical ambiance with classic winter magic.
On the East Coast, EPIC enters its fifth year with Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. After managing the fall "Haunted Birdhouse Hunt," the team transitions the 83-acre venue into its holiday program, "A Very Merry Garden," maintaining operational oversight while delivering a fresh seasonal transformation.
Co-founded by Charity Hill and Steve Sheldon in 2016, EPIC Entertainment Group continues to shape large-scale experiences for major destinations and brands nationwide. Through innovative design, production expertise, and storytelling that connects guests to place and season, the company remains a leading force in immersive holiday entertainment.
#epic #holidays #christmas #christmasevents #holidayevents #interview #fanboynation
I spoke with co-founders Steve Sheldon and Charity Hill as they reflected on EPIC Entertainment Group’s nationwide slate of holiday-season projects. Their work once again blends inventive storytelling, elevated design, and seamless production into experiences that reshape how guests engage with seasonal traditions.
This year’s programming begins with the return of Hersheypark’s Dark Nights in Pennsylvania, now in its fourth season. In partnership with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, EPIC manages casting, costuming, makeup, and talent operations for hundreds of performers. The 2024 expansion introduces a new haunted house, an additional scare zone, and enhanced atmospheric elements that deepen the cinematic feel of the event.
On the West Coast, Pacific Park’s historic Santa Monica Pier now features the newly reimagined Funhouse, a 2,800-square-foot walkthrough inspired by the legendary Toonerville Funhouse of nearly a century ago. EPIC designed nine interactive chambers filled with illusions, effects, and a narrative tied to the Pier’s colorful past. Since its September debut, the attraction has drawn steady attendance and enthusiastic public response, merging nostalgia with contemporary experiential design.
EPIC also returns to Hotel del Coronado for its winter celebration, "A Holiday in Oz," running November 21 through January 4. Guests follow a themed path through immersive décor and installations, highlighted by the annual 12-minute light show on the historic Norfolk Island Pines. More than 75,000 synchronized lights, choreographed to festive music and culminating in snowfall, illuminate the century-old trees in a dramatic holiday display.
Furthering the Oz theme, EPIC introduces a collection of character-based holiday trees. Along the property’s "Yellow Brick Road," four 12-foot trees represent Dorothy and Toto, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Woodman, each designed with details that reflect its character. A 22-foot Grand Teton Lobby Tree, themed “The Road to Oz,” anchors the interior with emerald, silver, and ruby tones and a sweeping yellow ribbon motif. Additional installations include a towering Wicked Witch of Oz tree and a 25-foot Glinda of Oz tree.
Across the Pacific, EPIC brings its seasonal touch to The Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay. The property is accented with holiday greenery, sparkling lights, and a sculpted Honu made entirely of dried moss, symbolizing wisdom and good fortune. A "Let It Snow" element introduces gentle flurries, blending tropical ambiance with classic winter magic.
On the East Coast, EPIC enters its fifth year with Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. After managing the fall "Haunted Birdhouse Hunt," the team transitions the 83-acre venue into its holiday program, "A Very Merry Garden," maintaining operational oversight while delivering a fresh seasonal transformation.
Co-founded by Charity Hill and Steve Sheldon in 2016, EPIC Entertainment Group continues to shape large-scale experiences for major destinations and brands nationwide. Through innovative design, production expertise, and storytelling that connects guests to place and season, the company remains a leading force in immersive holiday entertainment.
#epic #holidays #christmas #christmasevents #holidayevents #interview #fanboynation
