Naman Shrestha
With Clare Niederpruem at the helm, Hallmark’s ‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’ centers on Gentry Wade and her decision to stray away from her budding musical career after the passing of her father three decades prior. Her father, Jett Wade, was a country music icon and a part of the renowned musical duo Winters & Wade. Due to his sudden demise, Gentry abandoned her dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and upholding his legacy in the industry.
When she receives an invitation from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, who plan to honor Jett at their Christmas celebration, Gentry is in two minds about returning to the venue due to the bittersweet memories attached to it. She visits the Opry after her friends convince her, but gets transported to 1995 while sitting at the venue’s church pews. Her good friend and country music talent manager, Mac, also follows her to 1995, where Gentry gets the opportunity to create new memories with her father and learns more about his life. The elements of Christmas magic, including time travel, in the romantic drama movie are portrayed through the constantly changing backdrops, which include the Grand Ole Opry.
Where Was A Grand Ole Opry Christmas Filmed?
Production for ‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’ was conducted in Tennessee and Missouri, specifically in Nashville and the Kansas City metropolitan area. From what we can tell, principal photography for the Hallmark production got underway in August 2025 and went on for a few weeks before wrapping up in September of the same year. As the release date approached, Angelo Martin took to social media and shared his experience of being a part of the film. He stated, “Whether it was actors or those on the production side, I saw everyone’s talents and was setting there very proud of everyone. What fuel that gave me for my future as actor…”
Nashville, Tennessee
Most of the scenes involving Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry were reportedly lensed on location in the music venue. Situated at 600 Opry Mills Drive in the city of Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry is an iconic stage founded in November 1925. Since the Opry didn’t change its schedule for the production, the shooting took place after the scheduled live radio broadcasts were finished for the day. Nikki DeLoach told Southern Living, “My call time would be nine o’clock at night for hair and makeup. We wouldn’t be able to start shooting until after the tours backstage were done after the show was over. And sometimes that would be at 11 and sometimes that would be midnight. And then we would shoot all the way into the next day at 11:00a.m. and then go home, get a few hours of sleep, and go back.”
She claimed that it was the hardest schedule for all the cast and crew members, but none of them complained about it as everybody did their parts “with such an incredible attitude and joy in their hearts.” Nikki also revealed that at times she used to go to the Opry earlier to catch the show before shooting started. Having revered the venue since she was a child, it was an honor for her to be a part of the movie alongside her cast members. The area outside the Grand Ole Opry also seemingly features in a few outdoor scenes.
Kansas City Metropolitan Area, Missouri
The production team of ‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’ utilized the locales of Kansas City to double for Nashville. In the month of September 2025, the cast and crew members were spotted taping multiple pivotal sequences in different parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area, including Lee’s Summit. They also reportedly set up camp in the historic Crestwood Shops, located along 55th Street between Brookside Boulevard and Oak Street.
The filming unit took over Brookside Jewelry at 306 West 63rd Street in Kansas City for a day and turned it into a film set by adorning the store with Christmas decorations. The director of the KC Film Office, Rachel Kephart, told The Kansas City Star, “…we’re especially proud that the majority of the movie was filmed in our area. It may seem counterintuitive, but projects choosing to film in our area despite the story not being set here, is a huge win for our local industry. It highlights how versatile our region is in terms of locations, and proves that our offerings, both in the form of local and state film incentives, and our strong crew base, make us competitive when projects are considering a variety of potential locations.”
A Grand Ole Opry Christmas Cast Details
Nikki DeLoach, Kristoffer Polaha, and Rob Mayes lead the cast of ‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.’ Besides being a talented actor, Nikki has also served as a writer for ‘True Justice: Family Ties,’ ‘Christmas with the Foxes,’ ‘Christmas for Keeps,’ and ‘The Shell Collector,’ and as an executive producer for ‘Taking the Reins,’ ‘Reunited at Christmas,’ and ‘Family History Mysteries: Buried Past.’ As for Kristoffer, he has directed a short film titled ‘A Work of Art,’ the music video for Chelsea DiBlasi’s “People Pleaser,” and a movie titled ‘Mimics.’ Meanwhile, Rob has performed songs in several films, such as ‘The Neon Highway,’ ‘Sweet on You,’ and ‘Just Jake,’ and in the show ‘Fire Country.’
Nikki DeLoach as Gentry Wade
Nikki DeLoach essays the character of Gentry Wade, who is invited by Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, in ‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.’ Hailing from Waycross, Georgia, she has bagged several major roles in renowned films and TV shows, including Christy in ‘Love & Other Drugs,’ Innosense in ‘Longshot,’ Young Ma in ‘The River Why,’ Shaylene Briggs in ‘Ringer,’ Lacey Hamilton in ‘Awkward.,’ and Heather in ‘Girl at a Bar.’
Kristoffer Polaha as Mac
Kristoffer Polaha portrays Mac, Gentry’s lifelong friend and love interest, in the Hallmark film. The multi-talented Nevada native can be seen in various movies, including ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ as Wyatt, ‘A Biltmore Christmas’ as Jack Huston, ‘Mimics’ as Sam Reinhold, The Colosseum’ as Ted Ferrios, and ‘Wonder Woman 1984.’ He also features in ‘Condor’ as Sam Barber, ‘Get Shorty’ as Jeffrey, ‘Harlan Coben’s Shelter’ as Brad, and ‘Castle’ as Caleb Brown.
Rob Mayes as Jett Wade
In the family drama movie, Rob Mayes steps into the role of Jett Wade, a country music icon and Gentry Wade’s late father. Widely recognized for his roles as John in ‘John Dies at the End,’ Marc Nickleby in ‘Mistresses,’ Derek Malloy in ‘The Client List,’ Trent Slater in ‘Deep Blue Sea 2,’ an Asgardian man in ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ and Matthew Blackwood in ‘Burning Blue.’ His other TV credits include ‘Frequency,’ ‘The Rookie,’ ‘Jane by Design,’ and ‘Finding Carter.’
‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas’ also features other talented actors in supporting yet important roles, including Sharon Lawrence as Rita, Eliza Hayes Maher as Young Rita, Erin Cahill as a Guide, Shanica Knowles as a Reporter, James Shaw III as an Opry Security Guard, and more. You can also spot cameos from Drew Baldridge, Megan Moroney, Bill Anderson, Maggie Baugh, Riders in the Sky, Tigirlily Gold, Pam Tillis, among others.
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