Fans invite their favorite Hallmark Channel stars into their homes year-round, and the network has been finding ways for those stars to invite audiences back into their lives. The Hallmark Experiences team’s latest event is a 10-city tour across America, and JustJared.com was lucky enough to attend one of the shows.
Hallmark’s live events have become an important part of the fan experience in recent years, with the 2024 launch of both the Hallmark Christmas Cruise and the four-week Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City, plus frequent appearances at Hallmark card stores around the country. Fans have been given unprecedented access to meet their favorite stars and become part of a community of people who find joy in the network. While previous events have typically required fans to travel to a specific location, Hallmark wanted to change things up this time and bring the experience directly to them.
Hallmark Stars Live was announced back in March and billed as an event where fans can “hear behind-the-scenes scoop from movie sets, ask burning questions, and get to know beloved stars up close.” In addition to attending the 90-minute show, many fans purchased VIP packages, which allowed them to meet the five stars before the show and pose for a photo opp.
Nikki DeLoach, who has starred in more than 20 Hallmark Channel movies, was selected to host the tour, serving as moderator for a panel made up of four additional network stars. For week one, she was joined on stage by Andrew Walker, Ashley Williams, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and Jonathan Bennett. During the second week, Nikki, Andrew, and Ashley remain on the road, with Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad joining the group.
We took a trip to the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, N.J. on Sunday (July 26) to attend the final show of week one, where we had an all-access pass to witness the excitement both backstage and in the crowd.
Meeting the fans!
Hours before the event began, fans were lined up down the block to be among the first in line to meet the stars during the pre-show meet-and-greet. Everyone was dressed for the occasion, with some wearing their “This is my Hallmark watching shirt” and others sporting festive Christmas-themed outfits that were perfect for the final few days of Christmas in July. The excitement could be felt throughout the town, with pedestrians constantly stopping to ask fans what they were waiting for.
“We’re meeting the Hallmark Channel cast!” one fan screamed.
It was immediately clear who a few of the fans were most excited to see. One group wore cardboard cutouts of Andrew Walker‘s face, which got a big laugh out of him when they walked into the meet-and-greet room.
“Where did you get those?!” he asked.
One thing is clear about Hallmark fans: They’re usually great at arts and crafts!
The actors received plenty of gifts and handed out just as many hugs. They listened to emotional stories about how their movies had impacted fans’ lives and offered comfort in return, reminding them they aren’t alone.
The show felt like bringing fans together into one giant living room
Nikki kicked off the show by bringing fans to their feet, setting the energy from the start with a dance party. She explained how the evening would work before bringing out the other four actors, who entered from the back of the auditorium and ran through the crowd on their way to the stage. Many fans had already met the stars just an hour earlier, but it was clear that others were seeing them for the first time. There were shrieks of joy throughout the theater.
The show was designed to make fans feel like they were participating in a group chat with their favorite actors. While audiences are used to seeing these stars on their TV screens, here they were live and in person, enjoying a lively conversation with the crowd. It truly felt like stepping into these fans’ living rooms as they candidly reacted throughout the night, sometimes shouting responses to the stage or commenting to their seatmates.
At one point in the show, the actors asked the audience if anyone is celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or any other milestones. When over a dozen people in the crowd stood up, the actors leapt off stage and ran through the theater to give all of those people a hug. Jonathan and Andrew even ran all the way up to the balcony to make sure everyone was noticed!
The actors proved they truly are a real-life family
One thing that makes the Hallmark stars so special is how they truly feel like a family in real life: not just friends, but family. Throughout the evening, they shared stories about being there for one another through both the good times and the bad, giving fans a glimpse into a side of these actors they don’t normally get to see.
Nikki, Ashley, and Andrew all live within seven minutes of one another in Los Angeles, and the ladies joked that they’ll loop Andrew‘s wife, Cassandra, into group texts with him to make sure he gets something done or shows up where he needs to be.
Nikki and Tamera bonded over being sports moms, sharing stories about their kids’ accomplishments on the baseball field and how they’ve developed a love for the game through watching them play.
Jonathan had his husband, Jaymes Vaughn, in the audience, along with their adorable dog, Brad. He reflected on the historic milestones he has shared with Hallmark, including being part of the network’s first same-sex kiss in 2020’s The Christmas House, starring in the network’s first movie centered around a gay couple in 2022’s The Holiday Sitter, and celebrating the network’s first same-sex wedding in 2025’s The Groomsmen.
The actors are traveling from city to city on a tour bus and we also chatted with them about living in close quarters, including what they’re learning about each other through this experience!
The wildest Hallmark movie brought to life on stage
Hallmark movies are usually filmed over the course of a quick three-week shoot, and these actors are pros at hitting their marks to keep production on schedule. They put those skills to work on stage during Hallmark Stars Live with a hilarious improv game called “Once Upon a Hallmark Movie.”
It was essentially the greatest version of Hallmark Mad Libs you could imagine, with the actors using their improv talents to turn audience suggestions into reality. We watched a rom-com set in Alcatraz featuring a leading lady who aspired to be a drag racer and fell for a dog groomer who looked like Woody Woodpecker. You can’t make this stuff up!
Nikki narrated the improvised movie while Ashley, Andrew, Jonathan, and Tamera brought it to life. The scenes had the audience roaring with laughter and served as the perfect finale to a lively night full of Hallmark magic.
You have a few more chances to catch Hallmark Stars Live!
Four more shows remain on the tour with Nikki DeLoach, Andrew Walker, Ashley Williams, Paul Campbell, and Kimberley Sustad.
Thursday, July 30 – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park
Friday, July 31 – Detroit, MI – Fisher Theatre
Saturday, August 1 – Waukegan, IL – Genesee Theatre
Sunday, August 2 – Omaha, NE – Orpheum Theatre
Visit HallmarkStarsLive.com for tickets!
Later this year, you can catch the stars on the Hallmark Christmas Cruise in October or by attending the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City, happening across four weekends from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Posted To:Andrew Walker Ashley Williams Hallmark Channel Jonathan Bennett Nikki DeLoach Tamera Mowry Tamera Mowry-Housley
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