Naman Shrestha
The Jeff Beesley directorial, Hallmark’s ‘Adopting St. Nick,’ chronicles the journey of a single mother named Maren, who runs her late father’s hardware store while raising her adopted daughter, Leah. Although Maren brings joy to her neighbors and locals through her repair work, her busy schedule leaves hardly any time for herself. The mother and daughter decide to participate in the Christmas Companions program at a new retirement community called Jolly Acres, where they are paired with an elderly resident named Kris, who resembles Santa Claus, for the holidays.
At the retirement community, Maren stumbles into the Director of Community Launch and Operations, Reid, with whom she teams up to save the anticipated Christmas Companions program after the contractor backs away from the project. As Maren and Reid become closer, sparks begin to fly between them. While Maren starts to break down her walls, Reid must decide if he wants to move on to the next assignment that would take him away from Maren and the other locals. The holiday romantic drama movie is set in a quaint town in a celebratory setting, with most of the drama unfolding at the fictional Jolly Acres.
Where Was Adopting St. Nick Filmed?
The shooting for ‘Adopting St. Nick’ took place entirely in Manitoba, particularly in and around Winnipeg. According to reports, principal photography for the Christmas film began on August 10, 2026, and went on for more than a couple of weeks before concluding in the last week of the same month. Amy Groening looked back on her time on the set and shared a few words of gratitude, stating, “I had the DREAMIEST time making #AdoptingStNick and I cannot wait to share it with all of you! It was beyond special to be back in my hometown, working with dear old friends on screen and off (#SantaSummit reunion anyone @jeffbeesley @stephaniesy_ and @ajhurtig?). And of course making new besties too – @michaeljrady @taylor.blake.r @randyapo.”
Winnipeg, Manitoba
The capital of Manitoba, Winnipeg, served as the primary production location for ‘Adopting St. Nick.’ To portray the fictional retirement community, the filming unit supposedly took over an actual property in the city. The cast and crew members of the holiday film also seemingly utilized the streets and neighborhoods across Winnipeg. From what we can tell, they set up camp in the downtown area, with the production team redressing storefronts and businesses in the area for shooting purposes.
Nicknamed the Gateway to the West, the city has hosted the production of numerous movies and TV shows over the years, such as ‘New in Town,’ ‘A Christmas Prayer Tradition,’ ‘Across the Universe,’ ‘Crashing Through the Snow,’ ‘Journey Back to Christmas,’ ‘Tell Me You Love Me,’ ‘The Holiday Shift,’ and ‘Little House on the Prairie.’
Adopting St. Nick Cast Details
Amy Groening and Michael Rady lead the cast of ‘Adopting St. Nick’ and helped bring the romantic tale to life through their chemistry-filled performances. The former is a two-time Canadian Screen Award-nominated actor who also served as a producer on ‘ActEd Online.’ Opposite her is the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native who is also a talented musician with a soundtrack credit on an episode of ‘Melrose Place.’
Amy Groening as Maren
In the Hallmark production, Amy Groening steps into the role of Maren, the single mother who helps organize the Christmas Companions program. The ‘Goon’ fame actor portrays Cheryl in ‘Teen Lust’ and Chelsea in ‘Father’s Day,’ while playing the character of Charlotte in ‘Reign.’ She also has plenty of other film credits to her name, such as ‘To the Moon,’ ‘We Wish You a Married Christmas,’ ‘Miracle in Bethlehem, PA,’ and ‘King of Killers.’
Michael Rady as Reid
Michael Rady dons the garb of Reid, the retirement community’s Director of Community Launch and Operations and Maren’s romantic interest, in ‘Adopting St. Nick.’ Widely recognized for his portrayal of Kostas in ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ and ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,’ Michael is also known for his memorable performance in ‘J. Edgar’ as Agent Jones and ‘The Guardian’ as Nick Zingaro. He also features in ‘Chicago Med’ as Dr. Matt Cooper, ‘Magnum P.I.’ as Chris Childs, ‘Tracker’ as Elliott Rusch, and ‘Timeless’ as Nicholas Keynes. In the romantic film, other talented actors also feature in supporting roles, including Randy Apostle as Kris Patterson, Taylor Blake as Leah, and Aaron Merke as Big Jim.
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