Where was Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage filmed? Locations, Cast, and Everything

Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage returns Jennifer Shannon to the screen for the franchise’s long-awaited 17th mystery, throwing her into a murder investigation surrounding a reenactment of the Lizzie Borden case.

The movie looks like it belongs somewhere in historic New England, with its old homes, period details and gloomy B&B atmosphere. But Hallmark fans looking for the real filming locations will have to look much farther north.

The entire movie was filmed in Canada, with one particular area providing the backdrop for Jennifer’s latest case. Here’s a closer look at the real locations behind Murder Takes the Stage, and how the filmmakers transformed them for the story.

Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage Filming Locations

Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage was entirely filmed in British Columbia, particularly in Vancouver. No Fall River, Massachusetts. No New England farmhouse exteriors.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver is the one and only filming location for Murder Takes the Stage. Every scene, indoor and outdoor, was captured here. All scenes were filmed in and around the city of Vancouver in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.

From what we can tell, the cast and crew took over a waterside property, which stands in for the venue where the book club meeting takes place. Its exteriors and interiors feature in many important scenes throughout the narrative. The production team set up cameras and other equipment in multiple rooms to tape key indoor scenes involving Jennifer and the murder suspects.

The choice of Vancouver is no accident. The city has long been the go-to for Hallmark productions. It offers versatile architecture, reliable crews, favorable Canadian tax incentives, and enough period-appropriate Victorian properties to make a 19th-century New England setting entirely believable on screen.

Why Vancouver works so well for this movie?

The Victorian B&B setting at the heart of the story demands creaky wood, ornate wallpaper, and the kind of atmospheric gloom that a sunny Malibu backlot simply cannot provide. Vancouver’s older residential neighborhoods, particularly in areas like Strathcona and parts of the West End are packed with heritage architecture that doubles convincingly as the East Coast.

Beyond that, Vancouver’s Lower Mainland offers waterside properties that add visual depth without the production needing to travel far between setups. The whole film was shot efficiently, which brings us to the behind the scenes. Some of the latest Vancouver productions include:

• A Castle of Our Own
• Blind Date Book Club
• Absolutely Devoted to You
• To All a Good Night
• An Easter Bloom

The third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently filming through the rest of the year and into 2026, wrapping up on March 13, 2026. Vancouver is genuinely one of the busiest film cities on the planet right now, and Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage adds one more beloved title to that list.

Behind the Scenes: What happened during production?

Principal photography for the Hallmark production under the working title Garage Sale Mystery: She Took an Ax began in mid-June 2026 and wrapped after more than two weeks in the first week of July that year.

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The working title is a playful wink to the Lizzie Borden mystery, referencing the famous (and historically contested) rhyme. The final title, Murder Takes the Stage, fits better the theatrical, reenactment-driven plot.

A cast member offered fans a rare look inside the production’s atmosphere. After the shoot wrapped, Helen actress Lauren Akemi Bradley took to social media to share her experience. She wrote:

“Wrap day. Spent the last three weeks with an amazing crew and a hilarious and incredibly talented cast. Days filled with deep belly laughs, huge dresses that barely fit in our trailers, and a whole lot of movie magic. My heart is very full.”

That post captures the mood perfectly. This was not a rushed, check-the-box production. The cast was genuinely invested.

Lori Loughlin’s Fight to Keep the Formula Intact

Perhaps the most compelling behind-the-scenes story is what almost happened to the franchise before filming even began.

Loughlin was adamant about keeping the heart of Garage Sale Mysteries intact. She recalled when one of the producers she was working with to bring the movies back to Hallmark suggested a major storyline overhaul, like Jennifer and Jason Shannon divorcing.

At the time, Loughlin replied: “You cannot do that. That is not what our audience wants to see.” For the actress: “If the formula and the template are not broken, don’t fix it. All we need to do is a good mystery, and that’s what we’ve done.”

The Gap Between Films

There are 16 movies in the original run, released between 2013 and 2020. Murder Takes the Stage, premiering September 19, 2026, makes 17.

Sixteen total films aired from the 2013 pilot film, until the series was cancelled in 2019 after Loughlin was fired from Hallmark. In June 2026, the series was renewed by Hallmark, with a new film in the series set to release on September 19, 2026.

A 17th film called Three Little Murders was about a week from wrapping when production stopped. It has never been released. Loughlin returned to acting in the years that followed, including work with Great American Family. Murder Takes the Stage marks her first Hallmark movie since the split.

The return of a franchise that was cancelled mid-production, reuniting nearly the entire original ensemble — that is genuinely remarkable television history.

Cast of Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage

Lori Loughlin and Sarah Strange lead the cast through their compelling performances, bringing the enthralling narrative to life.

Here is the full main cast at a glance:

Lori Loughlin as Jennifer Shannon

Lori Loughlin dons the garb of Jennifer Shannon, the detective who tries to solve the murder case. Widely known for her roles in shows like When Calls the Heart as Abigail Stanton, Full House as Becky, and Summerland as Ava Gregory, Lori also features in The New Kids, Northpole: Open for Christmas, and Every Christmas Has a Story.

The New York City native has multiple producing credits on projects such as Homegrown Christmas, Fall Into Winter, Blessings of Christmas, and When Calls the Heart. She is also the creative mind behind Summerland.

2026 marks Lori Loughlin’s return to the network after several years away. Lori not only returns for Garage Sale Mysteries, but she will also star in the Countdown to Christmas movie, What If Christmas, with Tom Cavanagh.

Sarah Strange as Dani

In Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage, Sarah Strange essays the role of Dani. She portrays Jill Langston in ReGenesis, Helen in Da Vinci’s Inquest, Annette Bishop in The L Word, and Jane in White Noise. Her film credits include Must Love Christmas, Christmas at Dollywood, A Summer Romance, and Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Death at the Diner.

As for Sarah, she lent her voice to dubbing numerous movies and episodes of the Japanese anime Ranma ½ in the 1990s. A career that spans anime dubbing to prestige cable drama to cozy Hallmark mysteries – few actors have that range.

Steve Bacic as Jason Shannon

Loughlin said that working with Bacic again was “wonderful.” She had high praise for the entire cast.

Steve Bacic shines as the supportive and protective husband, Jason Shannon. The chemistry between Loughlin and Bacic remains one of the franchise’s strongest assets. Their dynamic, the mildly exasperated husband and the unstoppable sleuth wife provides consistent warmth and humor throughout.

What is Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage About?

Based on Suzi Weinert’s Garage Sale Mystery book series, Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage is a murder-mystery drama directed by Paula Elle. This will be a new case and a mysterious one, and Jennifer Shannon is expected to use all her investigative skills to find the truth.

During a reenactment of the Lizzie Borden case, one of the members of Jennifer Shannon’s true crime book club is murdered. There is one mystery that Jennifer Shannon cannot solve, and that is the infamous Lizzie Borden case. But when a murder happens while reenacting the Borden murders, who else but Jennifer Shannon can solve it?

The reenactment takes place in a creaky Victorian B&B and features fancy period costumes. Are the Lizzie artifacts real or bogus? Who is murdered during this reenactment and why?

It is a cozy mystery through and through. It leans into the Hallmark formula that fans love. And it works.

Where to watch Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage?

Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder Takes the Stage premiered Saturday, September 19, at 8pm ET/PT on Hallmark Channel. The movie is available to stream the following day on Hallmark Plus.

Here is a complete breakdown of how to watch:

Hallmark is advertising a full marathon of the Garage Sale Mysteries starting on Sunday, September 20 at 10a/9c. Hallmark+ also has a large collection of the films, but it doesn’t look like every single one is available on there. Some of the individual films are also available to rent and purchase through digital storefronts.

Also check: Hallmark Fall Into Love 2026: Full Schedule, Premiere Dates + Filming Locations

Reviews and Audience Reaction

Steve Bacic shines as the supportive and protective husband, Jason Shannon. Kevin O’Grady delivers on his frustration that Jennifer is always the one finding bodies. Sarah Strange continues to make the quirky and artsy Dani her own. This cast is so finely in tune with each other that it felt like no time had passed between the last movie and this one.

The Lizzie Borden angle gives the story a distinctive hook that separates it from earlier entries in the franchise.

The movie presents the two sides of the Lizzie Borden case. Is Lizzie guilty, or is Lizzie an innocent person? Jennifer claims it’s unsolvable.

What makes the return of this series better is the core cast returning. It’s also fun to see Steve Bacic in another Hallmark, though he’s an actor that I’d choose a different role as a favorite. Still, the banter and fun that Bacic and Loughlin have as Jason and Jennifer is always fun, and that family and sleuth balance continues in this film.

Is This the Start of a New Era for the Franchise?

Hallmark is calling the newest movie the return of the franchise, which seems to indicate they plan on making more, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Lori’s involvement as a producer and the returning ensemble does appear to leave the door open for more.

There are rumors that she’s currently filming a Hallmark Christmas movie as well.

Given the audience enthusiasm surrounding this comeback, continued installments seem more likely than not. The formula is intact. The cast is back. And Vancouver, as always, is ready to play wherever the story needs it to go.

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Paul Fogarty

Paul is an entertainment news writer and the newest family member of Castalkie who joined in October 2022. His interest is in covering the filming locations of movies and TV shows.

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