Raleigh has not yet been home to a Hallmark holiday movie set, so we decided to do the hard work for the TV channel. We asked our readers to cast + write a Raleigh-themed holiday movie — here are your responses.
Where does the meet cute happen?
“Miracle at The Haymaker. He orders a ‘Yippie Ki Yay Mother F------!’ and she comments that ‘Die Hard’ isn’t a Christmas movie. Chaos ensues!” - Elizabeth C.
“Saving Grace. They are passionate about rescuing animals!” - June G.
“They’ve run into each other before, she was a vendor at the NC State Fair, and he was nothing but rude. Now when he took his niece to the NC Asheboro Zoo, they quite literally run into each other again.” - Jordan B.
“On the greenway network.” - Nanette N.
How do they bond?
“Shared love for the most heavily seasoned everything bagel in town at Benchwarmers.” - Sarah B.
“Over love of coffee — chain brand versus local favorite like 321 Coffee.” - Mary S.
“He works at Angus Barn as the sommelier and tries to smooth over her holiday reservation incident with a bottle of wine.” - Vanessa N.
“Tobacco Road college sports rivalries.” - Betsy A., K. H., Casey S., Justice D., and Cyndi W.
What other plot points are there?
“He shows her the magic of a cookout tray, definitely with a giant Cheerwine.” - Riley B.
“British bloke falls for local man during a hockey tailgate.” - George S.
“They would have to help create a float for the Cary holiday parade, when Santa’s float suddenly goes kaput.” - Jordan B.
“Small town protagonist is scared of the big city and that it won’t be welcoming. They turn to find out Raleigh is a small-feeling big city. They learn this by experiencing the art, culture, holiday pop-ups, markets, and charm of Raleigh.” - Kevin B.
Where will the final scene take place?
“In City Plaza watching the Acorn Drop.” - Tammy H., Ann D., Justice D., Cyndi W. and Nanette N.
“A performance by the NC Symphony.” - Riley B.
“Ashley Christensen’s New Year’s Eve dinner at Poole’s Diner.” - Sarah B.
“He chases after her on the Raleigh Trolley light tour on Christmas Eve.” - Jordan B.
Which actors should play the lead characters?
“Ariana DeBose and Scotty McCreery.” - June G.
“Tyler Barnhardt and Hunter Schafer.” - Riley B.
“Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Manish Dayal.” - Kathryn S.
“Micheal C. Hall and Lacey Chabert.” - Jordan B.
“Susie Pratt and Ira David Wood IV.” - Vanessa N.
“Zach Galifianakis should be in it as another character (not the romantic interest).” - Justice D.