Carlinville, Illinois, has won Hallmark’s first-ever Merriest Christmas Towns Contest, and the small town between Springfield and St. Louis will have a future Hallmark Christmas movie filmed there. Hallmark revealed the win on October 15 at the town’s historic courthouse, with Countdown to Christmas stars Jonathan Bennett, Erin Cahill, Tamera Mowry-Housley and Brendan Penny on hand.
The reveal turned into a full surprise celebration, with holiday music, festive activities and the residents who made the win happen. Hallmark Media’s Head of Programming, Michelle Vicary, said the network “knew instantly that Carlinville captures the widely adored Hallmark charm.” She added that she is confident the production will build meaningful connections with the people of Carlinville while making the movie.
The contest was the first of its kind for Hallmark. Fans nominated their own towns, and Hallmark named 25 finalists in August, from Boerne, Texas, to Bemidji, Minnesota, and Neenah, Wisconsin. Fans voted through September 4, and a panel of judges then picked the winner. The grand prize is a Hallmark Christmas movie filmed in the winning town. Hallmark has not yet announced the title, cast or premiere date for the Carlinville movie.
Carlinville Mayor Doug Downey credited the people who live there. “What makes Carlinville so special is the people who call it home,” he said, pointing to the town’s historic downtown and its holiday traditions. He said he hopes the honor brings new visitors and opportunities to the community for years to come.
If you have never heard of Carlinville, it is easy to see why it won. The town of about 5,700 people is the county seat of Macoupin County. Its 1870 courthouse is so grand that locals still call it the Million Dollar Courthouse. Carlinville is also home to the largest collection of Sears catalog homes in the country, with 149 of the original 156 houses from 1918 still standing. Each winter, the historic square lights up for a holiday ceremony, and the town hosts a Christmas market.
Our take: This is one of the sweetest ideas Hallmark has had in years. Fans picked a real town, and now that town gets to be the backdrop for a Countdown to Christmas movie. A lit-up town square, a grand old courthouse and an entire neighborhood of vintage catalog homes sound like a Hallmark set designer’s dream. We were also happy to see Erin Cahill there. We interviewed Erin for Christmas at Sea, and she is just as warm in person as she is on screen. We cannot wait to find out which movie Carlinville gets.
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