Connecticut Turns Holiday‑Movie Set into Tourist Trail, Drawing Fans to Wethersfield and Beyond

Fans of Hallmark’s holiday movies are flocking to Connecticut, where the state has turned its film locations into a year‑long tour that sold out in two weeks.

The Tour

Abby Rumfelt of Morganton, North Carolina, said she was “excited — just to know that something was in a movie and we actually get to see it visually” after stepping off a coach bus in Wethersfield. Rumfelt was one of 53 people, mostly women, on a weeklong “Hallmark Movie Christmas Tour” organized by Mayfield Tours of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The bus ride let fans watch the movies as they moved from stop to stop.

Co‑owner Debbie Mayfield, who runs the company with her husband Ken, used the “Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail” map that the state launched last year to plan the route. The first tour to Connecticut and other Northeastern states included hotel accommodations, meals, tickets and a stop to see the Rockettes in New York City. It sold out in two weeks.

Key Locations

• Wethersfield (Dec. 6, 2025) – Scenes from “Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane” and “Rediscovering Christmas” were filmed here.
• Silas W. Robbins B & B – Fans walked by this historic bed‑and‑breakfast while the same films were shot.
• Norwich City Hall (Dec. 5, 2025) – Decorated for the “Light Up City Hall” event, it was the filming site for “Sugar Plum Twist.”
• Bushnell Park Carousel, Hartford (Dec. 5, 2025) – Scenes from “Ghost of Christmas Always” were captured on the carousel.
• Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre – Lunch was served here; the store, once home to America’s oldest seed company, is a historic district known for its 1700s and 1800s buildings. The market sells T‑shirts with Hallmark’s crown logo and the phrase “I Live in a Christmas Movie. Wethersfield, CT 06109.”

Julia Koulouris, co‑owner of the market with her husband Spiros, said, “People just know about us now,” and added, “And you see these things on Instagram and stuff where people are tagging it and posting it.”

Industry Context

The holiday‑movie genre dates back to the 1940s with classics like “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.” In 2006, five years after the Hallmark Channel launched, the network released “The Christmas Card,” a film that helped cement Hallmark’s formula of G‑rated love stories with predictable happy endings. Joanna Wilson, author of Tis the Season TV: The Encyclopedia of Christmas‑Themed Episodes, Specials and Made‑for‑TV Movies, said Hallmark saw high ratings and began producing films with the same tropes.

Today the genre generates hundreds of millions of dollars a year and releases roughly 100 new films annually across cable, broadcast, streaming and direct‑to‑video platforms. Wilson noted the stories now feature a wider range of racial, ethnic and LGBTQ+ characters, but the core formula remains.

Local Voices

Hazel Duncan, 83, of Forest City, North Carolina, shared how she and her husband of 65 years watch these films together year‑round. “We hold hands sometimes,” she said. “It’s kind of sweet. We’ve got two recliners back in a bedroom that’s real small and we’ve got the TV there. And we close the doors off and it’s just our time together in the evening.”

Christina Nieves and her husband Raul, who have lived in Connecticut for 30 years, have been exploring the trail “little by little.” Nieves said the Bushnell Park Carousel was a highlight and that she convinced Raul to join her at a tree‑lighting and parade in Windsor Locks. “I said, listen, let me just milk this Hallmark thing as long as I can, OK?”

Connecticut’s chief marketing officer Anthony M. Anthony said the trail is part of a 2023 rebranding effort to promote the state as a place to visit, work and live. He added that the trail showcases communities as movie sets. However, state lawmakers are debating whether to eliminate or cap film‑industry tax credits, a move that could affect future local productions.

Key Takeaways

• Connecticut’s holiday‑movie trail draws fans to towns like Wethersfield, Norwich and Hartford.
• A week‑long tour sold out in two weeks, offering on‑location visits, meals and a Rockettes show.
• The state’s marketing strategy ties film locations to tourism, while lawmakers consider changes to tax incentives.

The tour illustrates how holiday movies continue to shape local economies and fan experiences, turning familiar towns into living movie sets for a season of nostalgia and romance.