The stars were out in full force on October 17, 2024, for an enchanting party to celebrate Hallmark Media’s 15th annual Countdown to Christmas programming event, which included an intimate Christmas concert by country superstar duo Dan+Shay.
Fan favorites including Tyler Hynes, Nikki DeLoach, and Andrew Walker got glammed up for the festive event, held on the Blue Hill at Stone Barns property in Tarrytown, New York — located 30 miles north of New York City. Heavy has compiled photos and details from inside the epic holiday party.
Hallmark Media’s Early Christmas Party Featured Tons of Special Details
Getty GettyTyler Hynes, Jonathan Bennett, Holland Roden, Andrew Walker, Nikki DeLoach, Erin Cahill, Heather Hemmens, Osric Chau, B. J. Britt, Beth Broderick, Noemí González, Benjamin Ayres, Rachel Boston, and Sarah Drew arrive for Hallmark Media’s “Countdown To Christmas” party at Blue Hill at Stone Barns on October 17, 2024 in Tarrytown, New York.
Many of the stars who were part of Hallmark’s first-ever Jingle Stop Tour, traveling from Washington DC to Manhattan on October 16, remained in New York for the shindig to kickoff the holiday season. Along with other celebs who flew in for the event, they were shuttled from New York City to Westchester County in Hallmark’s custom-designed Countdown to Christmas buses.
The stars then boarded horse-drawn wagons to arrive at the party, as seen in videos shared by Hallmark’s social media team.
Heavy/Getty Heavy/GettyBlue Hill at Stone Barn was decked out for the holidays to celebrate Hallmark Media’s 15th annual Countdown to Christmas on October 17, 2024.
The cozy Christmas party included a decorated tree at the center of the bar, holiday pillows in lounging areas, remarks from Hallmark execs, an Instagram-worthy photo background with illuminated letters spelling out “JOY,” and custom cocktails including a Christmas Cosmo, Holiday Nog, and a Figgy Pudding Old Fashioned.
Hallmark Channel’s Instagram account shared peeks of the decor before the stars arrived in its Instagram Stories.
Getty GettyDan Smyers and Shay Mooney of “Dan + Shay” perform onstage at Hallmark Media’s Channel’s “Countdown To Christmas” on October 17, 2024 in Tarrytown, New York.
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, known best as the Grammy-winning duo Dan+Shay, performed a live acoustic set of songs, primarily from their new double Christmas album, “It’s Officially Christmas,” which launched on the same night.
In its Instagram Stories, Hallmark shared excerpts from their performance and revealed that some of their tunes will be featured in upcoming Countdown to Christmas movies. The title track will appear in the highly-anticipated “Holiday Romance: A Chiefs Love Story,” which premieres on November 30.
In one video, actress Rachel Boston met and hugged the duo after they shared that their song “Christmas Isn’t Christmas” will be featured in her movie, “Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle,” which premieres on November 28.
Hallmark Stars Got Glammed Up & Had a Blast at Countdown to Christmas Event
Heavy/Getty Heavy/GettyHallmark stars Erin Cahill, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Nikki DeLoach, Rachel Boston, and Heather Hemmens at the Countdown to Christmas party on October 17, 2024.
Many of Hallmark’s biggest stars dressed in their holiday finest for red carpet photos and to gleefully reunite — or, in some cases — finally meet each other. While many of the stars in attendance have been with the network for years, others are fairly new to the network, including “Glee” and “Awkward” alum Nolan Funk, whose first Hallmark starring role is in “Five Gold Rings,” and “Holidazed” cast members Dennis Haysbert, John C. McGinley, and Osric Chau.
The stars’ camaraderie was evident in videos shared during the evening, including one in which a large group of them — including Kristoffer Polaha, Benjamin Ayres, Erin Cahill, Boston, and DeLoach happily wished their fans a “Merry Christmas.”
While their colleagues partied, the cast of “The Groomsmen” found a quiet spot to celebrate the streaming premiere of their new trilogy on Hallmark+. Hynes, Jonathan Bennett, B.J. Britt, and Heather Hemmens gathered in a private room to start streaming the first movie — “The Groomsmen: First Love” — on a laptop, inviting their fans to do the same for a virtual “watch party.”
In the video they posted, Bennett gave fans a peek at the party going on behind closed doors. As he walked into the festive party room, one of Hallmark’s executives could be heard telling the crowd that “last year our dedicated viewers made Hallmark Channel the number one entertainment cable network for an entire decade running.”
The morning after the big shindig, Benjamin Ayres shared a funny video that captured many of the celebs’ dance moves as they exited the bus after the party, as Men Without Hats’ 80s hit “The Safety Dance” played in the background.
The brainchild behind this glorious-ness is @kimberleysustad,” DeLoach commented on the post. “She had a vision.”
Ayres replied, “Yes!! And I lost my voice trying to direct it.”
Boston chimed in, “Safest safety dance that bus ever did see!!!!! ???”
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Inside Hallmark Channel’s Star-Studded Countdown to Christmas Party