Adopting St. Nick is a 2026 holiday romance movie from Hallmark Media. It is directed by Jeff Beesley and written by Susan Brightbill.
The cast includes Amy Groening as Maren and Michael Rady as Reid, with Taylor Blake, Randy Apostle and Aaron Merke. It was filmed in Manitoba, Canada, in and around Winnipeg.
Maren is a busy single mum who runs her late father’s hardware store and is raising her adopted daughter, Leah. Leah signs them up for the Christmas Companions program at Jolly Acres, a new retirement community, where they are paired with Kris, a resident who looks a lot like Santa Claus. Maren also meets Reid, who launches new retirement communities and moves from one to the next. The program is in trouble when a contractor backs out, so the two team up to save it.
Adopting St. Nick premiered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel, as part of Countdown to Christmas. It was on Hallmark+ the next day, and it runs about 84 minutes.
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When and Where Was Adopting St. Nick Filmed?
| Film Name | Adopting St. Nick |
|---|---|
| Genres | Romance, Holiday |
| Filming Locations | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Filming Dates | August 10 to August 27, 2026 |
| Cinematography by | Paul Suderman |
| Release Date | October 31, 2026 |
ACTRA Manitoba lists the production as wrapped, with a start date of August 10, 2026, and an end date of August 27, 2026. Moviedelic also reports a start on August 10, with filming ending in the last week of August. Paul Suderman handled the cinematography.
📍Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg is the main filming base, and Hallmark shoots many of its Christmas movies there. Moviedelic says the crew reportedly took over a real property in the city to stand in for Jolly Acres. It also says the downtown streets and shopfronts were redressed for filming. We could not confirm the name or address of the property, so please do not assume any venue is the real Jolly Acres. Our Canada page lists more films shot across the country.
Visiting: Winnipeg is an ordinary working city, so you can walk the streets. Please check before you go to any private property.
📍Stonewall, Manitoba
One website matched a scene to a shopfront on Main Street in Stonewall, a town north of Winnipeg, by comparing it with the street. We could not find a production or news source to confirm this, so please treat it as a report only. We will update this guide as soon as it is confirmed.
Visiting: Main Street is a public street, but the shops on it are working businesses, so please check before you visit.
📍Other Areas of Manitoba
We could not confirm any other exact venue, such as the hardware store or the town streets. Jeff Beesley also directed The Spirit of Halloween, and for another Hallmark Christmas movie shot in Canada, see Mr. & Mrs. Christmas.
Adopting St. Nick Behind the Scenes
To make your search for Adopting St. Nick filming even more interesting, here are some posts from the set. After filming, Amy Groening wrote on Instagram that she “had the DREAMIEST time” making the movie. She was back in her hometown, working with old friends.
Fun fact: Groening, Beesley, Adam Hurtig and Stephanie Sy had already worked together on The Santa Summit, which was also shot in Winnipeg. Michael Rady posted that this was a mix of old and new friends, “and SANTA”, and Entertainment Now says it is his first new Hallmark Christmas movie since 2023. If you like Hallmark movies shot in Canada, A Knight to Remember is a good next read.
We will add more cast and crew Instagram posts and set photos here as soon as they are shared.
Hallmark did share a sneak peek and publicity photos before the premiere. It premiered on Hallmark Channel on October 31, 2026, and is on Hallmark+.
FAQs
Q1: Where was Adopting St. Nick filmed?
A1: It was filmed in Manitoba, Canada, in and around Winnipeg.
Q2: When was Adopting St. Nick filmed?
A2: Filming ran from August 10 to August 27, 2026, according to ACTRA Manitoba’s production list.
Q3: Is Jolly Acres a real retirement community?
A3: Jolly Acres is a fictional name. A real property in Winnipeg was reportedly used, but we could not confirm which one.
Q4: Who is in the cast of Adopting St. Nick?
A4: Amy Groening plays Maren and Michael Rady plays Reid. Taylor Blake plays Leah and Randy Apostle plays Kris.
Q5: Who directed Adopting St. Nick?
A5: Jeff Beesley directed it, from a script by Susan Brightbill.
Q6: Where can I watch Adopting St. Nick?
A6: It aired on Hallmark Channel on October 31, 2026, and is on Hallmark+.
Adopting St. Nick was filmed in and around Winnipeg in August 2026.
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