Strong Response to Nation's First Christmas Movie Trail (in Connecticut, of Course) - Is an Historic Sequel Next?

Just weeks ago, Connecticut, in a celebration of cinema and the holiday season, unveiled the nation’s first-ever Christmas Movie Trail.

What state officials, led by Gov. Ned Lamont, described as a “unique journey” that lets movie lovers experience the quaint towns, bustling cities, and festive settings that have captivated millions of viewers through these beloved Christmas classics.”

Cited were movies that included scenes of Connecticut that were telecast on  networks including Hallmark, Netflix, and Lifetime – all included on a curated map featuring 22 filming locations around the Nutmeg State.

The Christmas Movie Trail was a cordial (and official) invitation to visitors from near and far “to step into the cozy inns, intimate cafes, charming shops, and iconic attractions where their favorite holiday stories were brought to life.”

The weeks since that announcement have seen a burst of publicity about the initiative – from a two page feature in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe, a news story on WNBC-TV in New York, to an article on the Forbes magazine website – among others. 

The Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail showcases the state’s unique role as a holiday destination, not just for movie sets but for real-life memories,” Ellen Woolf Rubrich, Connecticut’s state brand director, said at the announcement of the Trail. “Our communities – brought to life with the spirit, beauty, and joy audiences experience on screen. Now, with the growing trend of set-jetting, visitors can step into these holiday scenes themselves and experience every aspect of what make these movies so magical.”

Now, it seems, there may be a another trail possibility in the works, thanks to the History Channel, of all places.

Hartford’s Isham-Terry House and Butler McCook House & Garden served as sets for episodes of season two of The Food That Built America, the hit History Channel series, Connecticut Explored reported recently.

Episode 2 of the popular series, “The Chocolate Rush,” looks into the history of the chocolate empires of Milton Hershey, Harry Burnett Rees and Otto Schnering, whose tiny creations evolved America’s love for chocolate forever.  The Connecticut setting?  The kitchen of the Isham-Terry House.  And then in episode 9, it is the Butler-McCook’s iconic yellow exterior that is transformed into Coney island, where Nathan Handwerker made the hot dog – and fast food – famous.

No word yet if another trail is possible – a sequel of sorts to the instantly successful Christmas Movie Trail.