WETHERSFIELD, Conn. — On highway signs across the state, Connecticut has declared itself “Home of the Basketball Capital of the World” (Springfield might disagree), “the Pizza Capital of the United States” (New York would like a word), the “Foodie Capital of New England” (a bold assertion indeed), and the “Submarine Capital of the World” (OK, we’ll give you that).
But there’s another category where the Nutmeg State truly sparkles: holiday movies. On Nov. 13, Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism launched the nation’s first Christmas Movie Trail. Unveiled at the festively decorated Silas W. Robbins House in Wethersfield, the mapped trail highlights dining, accommodations, and other locations featured in specific Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, BET, and Universal Studios holiday movies. (You might have seen the Robbins House in Hallmark’s “Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane.”) The ribbon-like trail includes 22 stops, one for each of the 22 Christmas movies filmed in Connecticut over the past 10 years. For details, visit ctvisit.com/articles/Christmas-movies-in-Connecticut.
How did Connecticut become the backdrop of choice for the holiday movie genre? Sure, the state’s film and TV tax incentives play a role, but those involved with the films say Connecticut is the real star. “Holiday films bring us comfort, nostalgia, and a bit of magic,” said Connecticut native and resident Andrew Gernhard, producer of numerous holiday films. “Having grown up here, I know firsthand the character and warmth that make Connecticut an ideal setting to bring these films to life. We’ve had the joy of filming so many holiday scenes here, and I think fans are going to love experiencing Connecticut through this lens.”
Since filming often happens in summertime, “we add a little ‘snow’ to the ground and CGI (special effects) does the rest,” says actor Michael Rady, who starred in “Where Are You, Christmas?” and “Christmas at Pemberley Manor.” “Connecticut has a lot to offer — but it doesn’t have 3 feet of snow in June!”
Other than snow, Connecticut needs little enhancement to bring the quaint holiday vibe to the small screen: Here, a Christmas tree farm; there, a cozy pub. Antique-filled inns? Check. It’s the perfect setting for an evergreen-scented, candy cane-and-mistletoe-accented love story. (It’s always a love story.) Quick, get that fireplace roaring! And will somebody pass the mulled wine?
Feeling a bit Scrooge-y at the concept? Know that the Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” offerings consistently draw huge viewership. The debut weekend of Hallmark’s first new Christmas films of the season made the channel the No. 1 entertainment cable network among women over age 18, Nielsen data shows, according to Forbes.com. And consider that two sailings of the Hallmark Channel Christmas Cruise sold out in less than 24 hours. That’s a serious fan base.
And why not? Holiday movies are “cute and lighthearted and feel like a warm hug,” says Candace Engdall of Saybrook Point Resort & Marina in Old Saybrook. “I think the world needs that right now.” Plots are predictable, in a good way. If some of them are slightly cheesy, well, a good cheese ball is a holiday standby. Saybrook Point Resort’s Choo Choo Lounge was a location in Hallmark’s “Next Stop, Christmas,” by the way. Guests were delighted to see stars like Lea Thompson milling about, Engdall says, “and didn’t seem to mind we had Christmas decorations up in summertime.” The inn decorates exactly the same way during the real holiday season.
With Connecticut’s holiday glow-up in full swing, this is a great time to tour the Christmas movie trail. With the goal of Holiday Movie Immersion, we binge-watched a few and set off to capture the Christmas spirit, Connecticut-style. (Bonus: Many of the attractions offer holiday-themed events.) Here are a few fun stops.
Watch this: ‘Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane’ (Hallmark, 2018)
Go here: Old Wethersfield, the largest historic district in the state, is quaint as can be. To feel like a movie extra, check out Heirloom Market on Main Street, and the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum (wdsmuseum.org) open May-October and December. Grab a bite at Lucky Lou’s Bar & Grill (www.luckylousbarandgrill.com), a fine-dining mainstay. Make it an overnight at the beautiful Silas W. Robbins House (www.silaswrobbins.com) bed & breakfast inn. All of these places can be seen in the movie.
Note: “Ghosts of Christmas Always” (Hallmark, 2022) also did some filming in Old Wethersfield, but was mostly shot in Hartford and West Hartford. Locations include Bushnell Park and the Bushnell Park Carousel.
Watch this: ‘Next Stop, Christmas’ (Hallmark, 2021)
Go here: This one was shot in Essex, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, Chester, Deep River, East Lyme, and Norwich. Locations featured include the historic Essex Steam Train (essexsteamtrain.com); Grano Arso restaurant (www.granoct.com) , Simon’s Marketplace (www.simonsmarketplace.net), and Otto Pizza (www.ottochester.com), all in Chester; and the Choo Choo Lounge at Saybrook Point Resort & Marina (www.saybrook.com.)
Watch this: ‘Christmas at Pemberley Manor’ (Hallmark, 2018)
Go here: Essex, set on the Connecticut River, was featured in this one, too. Wander along Main Street, and pop inside the circa 1776 Griswold Inn (https://griswoldinn.com), both shown in the movie.
Note: The Noel Diary (Netflix, 2022) was filmed at several places in the state, including Essex. The Griswold Inn shows up here, too, as does Olive Oyl’s Carryout Cuisine (www.oliveoylscarryout.com), a repurposed garage and gas station on Main Street.
Watch this: ‘Soul Santa’ (BET, 2021)
Go here: This one featured several locations in Norwich in eastern Connecticut. To get into the spirit, visit the Harp & Dragon Pub (www.hndpub.com), a traditional Irish pub with great food, and Billy Wilson’s Ageing Still (www.facebook.com/Billy.Wilsons.Ageing.Still), an old-school bar.
Watch these
“Mystic Christmas” (Hallmark, 2023), “Where Are You, Christmas?” (Hallmark, 2023), “The Holiday Fix-Up” (Lifetime, 2021), “Trivia at St. Nick’s” (Hallmark, 2024), “A Very Nutty Christmas” (Lifetime, 2018), and more.
Go here: Ah, Mystic! How the holiday movie folks love you! One of our favorites, “The Holiday Fix-Up,” used Mystic Seaport (mysticseaport.org) as a location. The movie “Mystic Christmas” is a real Valentine to Mystic (or should we say, Christmas card?), with scenes filmed all over town. Mystic Aquarium (www.mysticaquarium.org ) was prominent in the film, along with Mystic Seaport, Mystic’s famous drawbridge, Sift Bake Shop (www.siftbakeshopmystic.com), and Harbor View Landing (harborviewlanding.com). Yes, you can stay in one of the two houses featured in the movie — they’re among the nine cute cottages at this resort, set on the Mystic River. “A guest came here and said, ‘This place is like a Hallmark movie,’” says Harbor View Landing’s Deb Tristan. “‘Funny you should mention that!’ I responded. She watched the movie while she was here.”
For more information: www.CTvisit.com.
Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at [email protected]
This post was originally published on here
