Posted : November 12, 2025
Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.
Welcome to another Season of Joy. If you’re an ultimate Christmas nut like we are, then you’re sure to be lining up your holiday watch list for all those Hallmark™ favourites that are chock full of the wintry warm-and-fuzzies. This year, we suggest that you take it one step further. Don’t just watch your favourite Hallmark™ holiday movies… come to York Durham Headwaters and actually live them!
Did you know that Scugog, located right here in YDH, is the filming location for several holiday movies? This picturesque area, with its historic main streets, turn-of-the-century homes, and charming local shops are the perfect backdrop to capture all the Christmas feels. Here are some of the films which have been shot in Scugog. Have you seen any (or all!) of them?
A Christmas in Vermont featuring Chevy Chase and Morgan Fairchild
Entertaining Christmas starring Jodie Sweetin and Brendan Fehr
Season for Love starring Autumn Reeser and Marc Blucas
Home for Harvest starring Brigitte Kingsley and Troy Blundell
The Christmas Chalet starring Erica Durance and Robin Dunne
A Royal Corgi Christmas starring Hunter King and Jordan Renzo
Mistletoe Magic starring Jessica Sipos and Stephen Huszar
Christmas by Chance starring Winny Clarke and Jacob Blair
The Enchanted Christmas Cake starring Erica Durance and Robin Dunne
Unperfect Christmas Wish starring Alys Crocker and David Pinard
The Art of Christmas starring Brigitte Kingsley and Joe Towne
Sappy Holiday starring Vanessa Sears and Jon McLaren
Live a Holiday Romance in Scugog this Christmas
There is more to Scugog than merely the scenery for your favourite holiday romances. Visiting this charming area and experiencing Christmas in a small town first-hand gives you the chance to be the star of your own Hallmark™-worthy story. Here is how.
Discover Scugog’s amazing community spirit
If you’re from outside of YDH, then you’ll be awestruck by how this warm, friendly community turns out for local events—just like they do on the Hallmark™ channel. It’s a real life cast of characters bringing Christmas cheer to everyone who comes to visit. All winter long, seven days a week, you can find sprightly Scugogians out enjoining the lakefront skate and market. Located in the Joe Fowler north ball diamond, this outdoor rink and vendor village takes the timeless treasure of skating and pairs it with great food and an artisan market (open most weekends), right in the heart of downtown. Enjoy the chill on your cheeks and make some memories while you shop for unique and locally made holiday gifts. This is what makes giving the best thing about Christmas.
But that’s not all. On November 29th, you can experience the Holly Trolley and Shop Event. Take a fun, free ride on Port Perry’s vintage trolley shuttle to participating shops and restaurants, which are staying open late for the festivities. Can’t make it out on the 29th? Don’t worry, the Holly Trolley will run weekends in December from noon to 4 p.m. The annual Bakersville Animated Gingerbread Village opens on December 7th at the Scugog library, and of course, the Christmas season wouldn’t be complete without the small town Santa Claus parade happening on December 7th. Visit Santa at his hut in the village from December 5th to December 22nd for an extra magical experience, just like it was when you were a kid. Wholesome, old fashioned fun isn’t just for Hallmark™ holiday movies.
Deck the Historic Main Street… fa la la la la…
The décor: without a doubt, this is what makes a Hallmark™ holiday movie so magical. Those quaint, historic main streets decked to the nines in festive flair look too beautiful to be real. But Scugog is proof that it’s not just a Hollywood illusion, because a number of your Christmas favourites have used Port Perry and the surrounding areas of Scugog Township as their fictional hometowns. A quick drive northeast of Toronto, and you can experience the magic of main street at Christmastime for yourself.
Can’t get enough of those cute boutique shops which your favourite characters pop in and out of on the small screen? That can be you!
- Check out The Port Cheese Company, where cheese and people are these passionate purveyors’ mission. Located in a downtown shop with authentic turn-of-the-century charm, it’s a great place to pick up a few nibbles while getting your Christmas shopping done, or to pick up a platter of selections for your next holiday party.
- For more unique gifts to add to your finds at the holiday markets, stop in at That Place on Queen. Experience the magic of a historic building (in use since 1870!) which has been dressed for the season while you shop for eco-friendly home decor, bath and beauty, clothing items and more. Don’t leave without grabbing a fresh-baked treat or specialty hot drink from the onsite café.
- For more delectable bites, don’t miss Hank’s Pastries. This iconic traditional bakery is over 100 years old, and serves up some of the best sweet treats you can imagine. Falling in love over fresh-baked apple fritters sounds like Hallmark™ to us.
Whet your whistle at the local watering hole
Did you know that Port Perry and surrounding Scugog is a mecca for lovers of craft brewing? Not only is it the home of the Old Flame Brewing Company, with which you may be familiar from LCBO stores around Ontario, but Scugog is also home to Two Blokes Cider. Get your fill of Christmas cheer at Old Flame, which is located in the old Ontario Carriage Works building.
Want to experience Scugog’s craft brewing without having to drive? Town Trolley is doing a pub crawl this season to raise money for North House. This gorgeous vintage trolley was featured in Disney’s Lifetime movie A Christmas Dance Reunion starring Highschool Musical’s Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman.
Support a small-town local farm
Local people and local festivities—isn’t that what the Hallmark™ holiday movies are all about? Come to Scugog and see the true meaning of “Loving Local” for yourself at Willowtree Farm. This multi-generational family farm is your one-stop shop for all of your holiday entertaining. You can find fresh produce grown sustainably right on the farm, the freshest cuts of locally raised meat from the butcher, delicious desserts and breads from the bakery, or ready-made meals (for when you need a quick fix on those evenings where you’re out and about enjoying the season).
Plus, Willow Tree Farm is another great spot to do some Christmas shopping. Give the gift of a happy tum and tastebuds with a specially curated gift basket. Or consider a gift card so that your friends and family can purchase their own freezer pack to keep them full all winter long. Perhaps sign a friend up for Willow Tree’s CSA program for year-round delivery of fresh produce.
In fact, come spend the day shopping and bring the wee ones. They will be thoroughly entertained by Willow Tree’s signature Adventures with Santa event. Weekends in December, your little elves can enjoy craft stations, a candy cane scavenger hunt, outdoor games, a story stroll with Mrs. Claus, a visit with Santa at the North Pole (a.k.a. the greenhouse), a special treat for the on-call “reindeer” (a.k.a. the goats), hot chocolate, and roasted marshmallows by the outdoor bonfire. This event is ticketed, so reserve your spot asap.
Bundle up at the classic local inn
It’s a staple of most Christmas movies—the picturesque inn that has been a pillar of the community for centuries. Well, believe it or not, this picturesque inn really is the pillar of many Hallmark™ movies, because The Piano Inn and Café has been the filming location for more than one of them. Here’s a cherry for the top of your Christmas pudding: Patrick Dempsey has actually stayed here!
This upscale boutique inn, where each room has its own theme, was built in 1884, so there is a ton of historic charm to be had. Do you imagine yourself being snowed in and meeting an attractive stranger in your very own holiday movie? We can’t promise it will happen, naturally. But we will say this: if it’s going to happen, you’ll want it to be at The Piano Inn and Café!
Don’t forget the fresh-cut tree straight from the farm.
Nothing says Christmas movie like a fresh-cut tree straight from the farm. How do we know? Visitors to Spademan’s Tree Farm will often tell staff and owners that it’s just like a Hallmark™ holiday movie set. Choose between naturally grown, pesticide- and chemical-free white or blue spruce, white pine, and balsam or Fraser fir. Cut your own, or choose from one of many beautiful pre-cut trees. Make your experience extra-magical with a hot chocolate, a hayride, a sit beside the roaring bonfire, and tasty candy canes. You’ll want to go sooner rather than later, though, because trees sell out fast here. An outdoor adventure and a romp in the snow—your very own holiday movie plot is half-written already!
Have a Hallmark™ holiday scavenger hunt
Now that you know about Scugog’s Hallmark™ connection, we challenge you to a festive scavenger hunt. Come for the day—or the weekend—and visit these spots where holiday movies were filmed. Then go home and watch them to see if you can spot the places you’ve been in real life. Don’t forget to tag us at @VisitYDH on social media with a list of all the locations you spotted.
Updated: