A Hallmark Christmas in Abbotsford
Credit to Author: Glenda Luymes| Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 00:21:37 +0000
More than 20 Hallmark Christmas movies have been filmed in Janelle Stauffer’s cozy corner of the world.
This Christmas, she is inviting people to be part of the magic for a few hours, with a Christmas home tour to benefit an international charity dedicated to ending human trafficking.
While Mt. Lehman, a rural Abbotsford community, seems far from the places where children are trafficked or sold into slavery, Stauffer and her family were inspired to host a “rescue party” to raise funds for International Justice Mission after attending a conference.
“We live in an incredible little community. Grandparents live next door to their kids and grandkids, and all the neighbours know each other,” she said. “It got us thinking about how can we use what we have to help.”
With its rolling fields scattered with evergreen trees and beautiful homes, Mt. Lehman has been a magnet for movie crews over the years, particularly those filming Hallmark Christmas movies. Stauffer’s home was featured in last year’s A Midnight Kiss and will also be in this year’s It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, set to air Dec. 21.
Candace Cameron-Bure and David O’Donnell starred in Hallmark Channel’s holiday hit Christmas Under Wraps, which was filmed in B.C. in 2017. Photo: Hallmark Channel
There will be six homes on the tour, including Heronsbridge, Tuscan Farm Gardens, a modern west coast estate, a country farmhouse, a European-inspired cottage, and a rustic barn.
In one of the homes, guests will be invited to climb a “secret staircase” to an attic to see a miniature Christmas train.
The tour is designed so people can park at Tuscan Farm Gardens, a lavender farm and wedding venue, and walk between the different properties, which will be decked in various styles. A large timber-frame house will have a towering Christmas tree, while a farmhouse will feature an “outside-in” theme. A cottage designed in a minimalist style will also be decorated to inspire visitors on the tour.
Sylvia Friesen with grandson Micah in their toy train room on the Christmas home tour.
Stauffer said there will be music and snacks along the way, as well as people telling stories about the charity’s work to end slavery.
“The stories will be family-appropriate,” she added.
Stauffer said Hallmark movie lovers will likely recognize the neighbourhood from the Finding Father Christmas movie series. It’s also the setting for Christmas at Dolllywood, a new movie starring Dolly Parton. Most of the filming happens during the summer, with a few final shoots in the fall. The snow is fake.
“They film both inside and outside, so people may see a lot that they recognize,” she said.
Tickets to the event, which takes place on the two weekends before Christmas, can be purchased online, with all the money going to the rescue.