Hallmark Channel has proven it’s never too early to start celebrating Christmas! Stars from the family-friendly network spent the week in Nashville, Tennessee, and JustJared.com got a behind-the-scenes look at how two days of festive events and fan experiences came together.
This year, Hallmark’s 24/7 schedule of Christmas content began on October 17, with all-new movies premiering every weekend until the end of the year. Twenty-four of the network’s biggest stars descended on Nashville, home of the highly anticipated movie A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.
One of Hallmark Channel’s distinguishing traits is the connection it maintains with its audience. In an era when celebrities often feel distant, the network’s talent continues to engage with fans through public appearances, convention meet and greets, and personal traditions that extend beyond the screen.
Keep reading to find out more…
Fans of all ages lined up starting at 5:30am on Wednesday morning (October 15) for meet and greets at two local Hallmark Gold Crown stores. Hallmark stars separated into two groups of five – Lacey Chabert, B.J. Britt, Ashley Williams, Brooke D’Orsay and Benjamin Ayres at one store and Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, Paul Campbell, Kimberley Sustad, and Rachel Boston at the other.
I tagged along with Lacey’s group in nearby Franklin, Tennessee, where the actress’ new products with Hallmark were on display and signed items were available for purchase. Fans entered the store one-by-one, or with their loved ones, and were greeted by all five stars to take a group photo. Ashley proved to be an incredibly personable host, exiting the store after each photo to grab the next guest, learn their name, and then introduce them to the rest of the group. The personal touch showed how much these actors care about their fans and want to give them the best experience they can.
One of the morning’s most touching moments happened when a 12-year-old girl walked in with friendship bracelets for all the stars. Although the Hallmark fan was shy at first, she came out of her shell to tell Lacey what a big fan she was. The two hit it off and took a Polaroid photo together. “She was so sweet and just made my day!” Lacey told JustJared.com. “Getting to meet so many wonderful people filled my heart and was a blessing.”
By the end of the morning, hundreds of fans had met the actors, including a mother-daughter duo who traveled all the way from London and split up between the two stores. One of B.J.’s biggest fans got the surprise of a lifetime when he answered the store’s phone to answer some customer service questions. The fan even showed up later to meet him in person!
The day continued at the Grand Ole Opry, where the group met up with Nikki DeLoach, the star of Hallmark’s A Grand Ole Opry Christmas. While filming at the Opry over the summer, Nikki learned about the venue’s long history, so she was a natural fit to give a tour. Each dressing room is themed and decorated with gorgeous vintage pieces to match the theme. Nikki‘s co-star Kristoffer Polaha was unable to attend the events as he’s currently filming an upcoming project, but Opry Christmas cast members Sharon Lawrence, James Denton, Rob Mayes, Luke Benward, and Eliza Hayes Maher were all there!
Walking onto the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for the first time was an unforgettable experience! Nikki brought us front and center to “the circle,” a piece of the stage that includes the actual wood that was salvaged from the original Opry stage after a flood. Today, every entertainer at the Opry stands in the circle while performing for the audience, soaking in a piece of the magic from days gone by.
Rachel Boston led the group – including Nikki, Ashley, B.J., Brooke, Benjamin, Wes Brown, and Hallmark Channel exec Annie Thomas Howell – in a moment of song around the circle. They honored the history of the circle by dancing around it as they sang along to “Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)” by The Carter Family.
“My grandparents went on their very first date at the Grand Ole Opry, so to stand on that stage surrounded by so many people I love, and in the circle from the original stage, it felt like my grandmother was smiling down on us,” Rachel told me about that moment. “I don’t even remember how we started singing that song! It just all felt so right and I’m still smiling.”
After the backstage tour, the group reunited with the rest of the Hallmark talent, who were relaxing in the green room at this point. A group trip to the Opry store led to some amazing purchases, but more on that later!
The first major event of the week took place that afternoon on the Opry Plaza. Hundreds of festively dressed fans in Santa hats waited by the main stage for a chance to see all of the stars. WSM Radio’s Kelly Sutton and Eryn Cooper introduced the actors to the stage movie by movie, giving fans a sneak peek at all the original movies airing this season. The stars had a blast coming up with creative ways to walk on stage. Three Wisest Men actors Tyler Hynes, Paul Campbell, and Andrew Walker made a memorable entrance, forming a three-person piggyback chain. One of the radio hosts had the best observation when she noted that it felt like watching the first episode of The Bachelor, where contestants try to come up with unique ways to make an entrance!
After intros, fans got to meet the actors at various installations on the plaza, including a radio interview, a red carpet moment, and multiple festive meet and greet spots. The Cowboy Cannolis team was on-site to hand-pipe fresh cannolis for fans (and yes, they were delicious).
Erin Cahill, star of the upcoming Christmas at the Catnip Cafe, said about the afternoon, “Being backstage of the Opry was truly a surreal moment in life. And, to be there with our beloved Hallmark family and some of my favorite humans… My feet are still an inch off the floor.”
Being at the Opry was a homecoming for Nashville-native Ginna Claire Mason, who grew up in the city before later moving to New York City to star on Broadway.
By the time the afternoon event was over, it was time to attend the Opry 100th Birthday Show, featuring Hallmark talent throughout the night! Many of the country music stars who performed that evening also have cameos in A Grand Ole Opry Christmas, including Drew Baldridge, Mickey Guyton, and Tigerlily Gold. Hallmark stars appeared throughout the night to introduce musicians to the stage. Nikki opened up about her moving personal connection to the Opry, Ashley touched on being related to country music icon Brad Paisley, and The Groomsmen actors Tyler Hynes, B.J, Britt and Jonathan Bennett got up to some hilarious hijinks on stage. During their visit to the Opry store earlier in the day, the guys all purchased one of Hallmark and the Grand Ole Opry’s pink sweaters and did their presentation while wearing them!
“We are not above a shameless brand promotion,” Jonathan joked.
At one point during the show, a woman sitting in front of the Hallmark actors realized that they were all behind her and she hilariously passed her phone to Mistletoe Murders‘ Sarah Drew, asking her to have each male star snap a selfie on the phone, including co-star Peter Mooney. They all obliged!
Day two of the adventure started with the Hallmark actors giving back to the community, supporting multiple local causes. JustJared.com will fill you in on that special morning in the near future!
In the evening, Hallmark Channel took over Luke Combs’ bar, Category 10, for a festive evening to kick off the holiday season. The actors split into two groups to be bussed over to the venue, where they began the night walking the red carpet and speaking with various press outlets.
Last year’s Holiday Touchdown star Hunter King was pulling double duty, filming on a new project nearby in-between her appearances at the Hallmark events.
“I had just finished filming nearby and as soon as I wrapped I rushed over!” Hunter told me. “I couldn’t wait to make it to the Countdown to Christmas event. Hallmark has created such a warm, joyful community, and I feel so grateful to be part of it. It’s truly one of the most special times of the year, and celebrating that magic with Hallmark fans made the two days in Nashville unforgettable.”
Autumn Reeser gave off 60s glam vibes in her sparkling outfit, which she said came together at the last minute. “There was a hot minute there where I thought I might be walking the red carpet in workout gear and not a Superhero-Sequin-Barbie cape, so I’m grateful for all the help I received so that I could fly,” she noted.
The stars and Hallmark VIPs went to a private floor inside the venue for some words from Hallmark’s Chief Brand Officer Darren Abbott, Head of Programming Michelle Vicary, and an exclusive performance from Brad Paisley and Megan Moroney.
“Christmas is really important to us at Hallmark. In fact, at Hallmark we kind of have this saying that it’s Christmas everyday,” Abbott said. “We are the largest producer of not only Christmas movies, but also Christmas cards, Christmas ornaments, and Christmas gift wrap. So basically, you celebrate Christmas with us, and we take that very seriously.”
“Our brand stands for connection and caring and love, and I think you’ll agree with me, this time of year, the world needs that, and we need more joy. And that’s what our brand stands for,” he added.
Ashley introduced her brother-in-law Brad Paisley to the stage for his performance—and revealed that he’s Hallmark’s biggest fan.
“There is no bigger Hallmark Christmas movie fan than Brad Paisley,” she said. “Brad Paisley has seen more Christmas movies than I have. And when I say that he’s seen them, he has invested in them. He called me when A Fabled Holiday aired and the dad died after one cough. He was like, ‘That was too fast a transition. We didn’t even get to know him.’ He was upset!”
After the private concert from Brad, including a special duet on “She’s Everything” with his “biggest fan” Megan Moroney, everyone went to the venue’s second floor to mingle while enjoying the main show with all the fans. Many of the acts from the Grand Ole Opry returned for a second night of performances at Category 10, including Mickey and Drew performing their “Joy to the World” duet, a new original song featured in the Countdown to Christmas promo videos.
Lacey got the opportunity to meet Forest Blakk, one of her favorite country music stars, and they snapped some selfies together!
After two action-packed days, many of the actors let loose and danced the night away, while some even went down to the main floor to hang out with fans. Tyler Hynes and Jonathan Bennett were seen line dancing with fans and snapping selfies with anyone who wanted one.
“It was important to join the fans because I was born on the dance floor. My mother was a dancer and my father was a cowboy,” Tyler told me. “I’d never [line danced] before, and after that night’s performance, I can’t in good conscience say that what I did was line dancing. It felt more like falling in different directions with people yelling at me taking pictures. It was precious.”
“And as for the audience, there’s no one I’d rather spend time with,” Tyler added.
By 11pm, the event was winding down, but the party was far from over as Brad Paisley hosted the Hallmark family at his private bar for an after-party.
So, what’s the takeaway after spending two days with the Hallmark team? It’s joy and love. The joy that you see on screen year-round radiates from all of the people who work there, from the stars to execs and everyone on staff. Hallmark Channel is known as the place “where love happens,” and it’s clear that the love from everyone behind the scenes is what brings it all together.
Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas programming slate just began and will continue through the end of the year. You still have a chance to be part of one of Hallmark’s incredible in-person events, with the Christmas Cruise sailing from November 6 through 10 and the Hallmark Christmas Experience taking over Kansas City for four weekends from November 28 through December 21.
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Reporting by David Niederhoffer
Source: justjared.com