The latest original Hallmark Christmas movie, Letters to Santa, departs from the channel’s usual filming locations in Canada by shooting throughout Massachusetts this past April. You will recognize several Massachusetts landmarks and small businesses when the movie premieres November 24th.
With John Stimpson as director, the movie tells a heartwarming tale of two young siblings, who utilize a magical pen to write down their special wish for this Christmas, that is bringing their estranged parents back.
The romance movie is produced by Edwina Forkin under H9 Films, Off Camera Entertainment, and Moody Independent with Danielle and Jon Artigo as screenwriter, and Mark Donadio and Miriam Marcus as producer. Let’s have a closer look at the shooting locations of this movie now.
Letters to Santa Hallmark Movie Locations
Letters to Santa was filmed in Massachussets, United States under the working title ‘Letters to Kris’ during spring 2023. According to Taylor Pezza, the entire shooting took place in April 2023.
IMDb has mentioned Worcester, Princeton, and Auburn as the main filming locations of the movie. These three towns are known for their New England charm and their beautiful scenery. Production team chose to film in Massachusetts because of the tax incentives that the state offers to filmmakers.
They might have chosen Utah to shoot the movie like Christmas Made to Order and Christmas Under Wraps, if they want to film in United States, but every state has its unique charm and they want to standout.
So, they decided to open cameras in some lesser known location in Massachussetts. Director Stimpson has also said that this was his fourth film at the location, means already had an idea about the location.
Worcester, Massachusetts
The charming Bedlam Book Cafe in Worcester has been featured in the holiday film Letters to Santa.
Director Stimpson revealed during a conversation with Spectrum News that they film some scenes at the Bedlam Book Cafe. Stimpson had used the same location before in another film and wanted to return to use the space for this movie.
“I came back and Nicole, the owner, was so welcoming and let us use this space so we’re taking full advantage of it,” director John Stimpson told Spectrum News. “I love to bring productions here and I love bringing our crews, the local crews and people who come from the surrounding area, here to Worcester and show off the city.”
Princeton, MA
Princeton is a small town in central Massachusetts, known for its historic downtown, its beautiful scenery, and its proximity to several popular tourist destinations such as Mount Wachusett and Wachusett Reservoir.
A popular tree farm of Princeton also makes an appearance in the movie. “Luks Farm should be in the opening scene, so we hope you’ll tune in to check out this sweet movie!” the farm shared on Facebook.
Luks farm is a popular destination for families during the holiday season, and it offers a variety of activities, including hayrides, tree cutting, and visits with Santa Claus.
The Farm is Free to visit during the off-season (Jan to May) but, during the Christmas season, there is a $5 admission fee, which includes access to the petting zoo, the gift shop, and the snack bar.
Auburn, Massachusetts
Most of the shooting of Letters to Santa took place in Auburn, a medium-sized town in central Massachusetts, known for its many lakes and ponds, and its proximity to Worcester.
There is no shortage of heritage buildings and neighborhoods in classic early American architectural styles in this beautiful town of MT.
The quaint storefronts on Auburn’s main street were decorated with twinkling lights and evergreen garlands, making them look like charming vintage homes for Letters to Santa movie.
Together, these three Massachusetts towns—Auburn, Princeton, and Worcester—transported cast and crew into the magical Christmas wonderland. Some recent christmas productions include Catch Me If You Claus, A Paris Christmas Waltz, and How the Gringo Stole Christmas.
Behind the Scenes
In behind-the-scenes posts, stars Katie Leclerc and Taylor Pezza gave fans a sneak peek at the tight bonds formed while filming. “Very excited to present my family! We are all working hard on filming a Christmas movie for you all!” Pezza wrote on Instagram.
Katie shared a post on her instagram presenting three cute characters of the movie including the doggy, Taylor, and Katie herself. She asked in the caption, who’s cuter and marked the location as MA.
Who’s in the cast of Letters to Santa?
- Laura Cerón as Camilla
- Katie Leclerc as Rebecca
- Christopher Bates Wilder as Santa
- Rafael de la Fuente as Enrique
- Mariela Hill as Vanessa
- Lonnie Farmer as Mr. Hines
- Taylor Pezza as Izzy
- Harry Aspinwall as Liam
- Mariana Paola Vicente as Candace
- Liliane Klein as Dr. Eaton
- Deanna Tarraza as Maria
- Kellen Raffaelo as Sam
Where to stream Letters to Santa?
Letters to Santa is set to premiere on Nov 24 at 6/5c on Hallmark Channel. The movie will also air on:
- Saturday, Nov. 25, at 2/1c p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 8/7c p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 3, at 10/9c p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 8, at 2/1c a.m.
- Monday, Dec. 18, at 4/3c p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 24, at 6/5c a.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 28, at 8/7c p.m.
