Winter Wonderlanes, Hallmark Channel’s latest Countdown to Christmas film, premieres on Friday with Ashley Newbrough and Franco Lo Presti playing former high school sweethearts brought together to save a much-loved bowling alley.
Newbrough plays Audrey Bell, a globe-trotting pop-up restaurateur who returns home for Thanksgiving and learns that her late grandfather’s bowling alley, Wonderlanes, is set to be sold.
Rather than leave immediately, Audrey agrees to stay for one final festive season and revive the venue’s Winter Wonderlanes youth bowling tournament. She teams up with Jason Miller, a local news reporter played by Lo Presti, to generate publicity for the event.
The pair’s shared history soon complicates the rescue effort, as working together rekindles feelings they had believed were in the past. Audrey must then decide whether to continue travelling or put down roots among the people and places she loves.
Winter Wonderlanes cast
Newbrough, who is from Toronto, is best known for starring in The CW series Privileged. Her other television credits include Rent A Goalie, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Mistresses and 1-800 Missing.
She has also appeared in a number of Lifetime and Hallmark Channel films, including Christmas Love Letter, Love Under the Stars, Small Town Christmas and Love in Glacier Nation: A National Park Romance.
Lo Presti was raised in Ontario. His television credits include Heated Rivalry, Days of Our Lives and Tracker, while his previous Hallmark films include 14 Love Letters and Unwrapping Christmas.
Where Winter Wonderlanes was filmed
The film was made primarily in Ontario, in and around Ottawa. Some scenes were filmed at Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm in the Ottawa Valley, while further scenes were reportedly shot at Orlean’s Bowler.
Actor Michael Goldin Shore shared a photograph on Instagram after filming had ended and described the experience as fun.
How to watch Winter Wonderlanes
Winter Wonderlanes airs on Hallmark Channel at 8pm ET/PT on Friday October 23. It becomes available to stream on Hallmark+ from Saturday October 24.
Further Hallmark Channel screenings are scheduled for Saturday October 24 at 6pm ET/PT, Sunday November 1 at 2pm ET/PT, Wednesday November 4 at 8pm ET/PT and Tuesday November 24 at 8am ET/PT.
The film forms part of Hallmark Channel’s 2026 Countdown to Christmas line-up.
