You’ll stumble upon a homecoming celebration of sorts when the finale of the 2025 Christkindlmarkt kicks off in Sister Bay this weekend.
For nearly a month, A Cherry Pie Christmas (also known as A Wisconsin Christmas Pie) has been available on multiple streaming services after making its debut on Great American Family in October. The John Stimpson film tells the story of a Chicago pastry chef who returns home and reconnects with an old flame while trying to choose between her dream job and her family’s orchard.
On Saturday, Christkindlmarkt attendees will get an opportunity to meet Stimpson and the movie’s stars, Katie Leclerc and Ryan Carnes, as they return to Door County for the first time since the movie wrapped up shooting last April. While you sip on glühwein and do a little holiday shopping, they’ll be signing movie posters to support the Sister Bay Historical Society. Their appearance comes ahead of the Door County “premiere” of the film at the Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek, which required three showings between Saturday and Sunday to meet demand.
If you miss Leclerc and Carnes this weekend, many of the locals who made cameos in the film are easy enough to find. Door County Administrator Ken Pabich made his film debut in the final scenes as one of the judges of the cherry pie contest. He said earlier this fall that it was a fun experience for him and others to be a part of.
Coming off the success of "Green and Gold" featuring Craig T. Nelson, "A Cherry Pie Christmas" is the latest example of Door County being put on the map thanks to the magic of the movie camera.
Destination Door County Chief Communications Officer Jon Jarosh said on Monday that one measuring stick they’re using for the movie’s popularity is the more than 600 coffee mugs they’ve given away as part of the Door County Movie Trail, a collection of 18 stops featured in A Cherry Pie Christmas. With more than 2,400 people registered to participate, he added that the trail has generated over $19,000 in receipts for businesses on the route. That includes Renard’s Cheese in Sturgeon Bay, which has seen its Door County Cherry Cheddar—featured as a significant plot point in the film—flying out of its cooler.
