How Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story Was Filmed

Christmas in Chicago usually means freezing temperatures, twinkling lights and enough layers to survive the walk to Soldier Field. For Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, it meant something stranger: winter coats in July, artificial snow and football legends learning their lines. Hallmark Media, the NFL and Skydance Sports teamed up with the Chicago Bears for the franchise’s third original movie, part of the 17th annual Countdown to Christmas. Behind the cozy romance is a production full of hometown connections, surprise appearances and a convincing transformation from summer to winter.

Chicago Got a Christmas Makeover in the Middle of Summer

While Chicago was sweating through July, the production team was busy creating December. They covered sidewalks and tailgate areas around Soldier Field with fake snow, dressed extras in heavy Bears gear and turned a Logan Square brownstone into the setting for a festive family dinner.

The filmmakers also recreated a smaller version of the beloved Christkindlmarket downtown, bringing in local businesses to set up shop. The goal wasn’t just to make Chicago look festive. The movie needed to feel unmistakably Chicago.

The Stars Had Chicago Connections Before Cameras Rolled

Robert Buckley, who plays Matt, arrived with a growing interest in the Bears. Fantasy football had deepened his enthusiasm for the sport, and he’d been following the team before landing the role. His connection to the Bears, along with his affection for Chicago, made it easy to embrace the fandom.

Lyndsy Fonseca, who plays Avery, had her own ties to the area. Growing up, she visited cousins in Highland Park and often spent holidays there. This was her sixth Hallmark movie, but the football partnership brought something new: a chance to combine arts and sports, two worlds she sees as powerful ways to bring families together.

The Big Soldier Field Surprise Was Filmed First

Filming at Soldier Field began July 7 with flashback scenes and social content featuring cast members including Buckley, Fonseca and Marsha Mason, who plays Darlene. The next day, production picked up the pace, covering everything from tailgating to a milestone celebration.

Here’s the delightful behind-the-scenes twist: Darlene’s big surprise near the end of the movie was filmed before the other main scenes that day. Movie magic rarely follows the same order as the finished love story.

Two Bears Legends Became Hallmark Scene Partners

Soldier Field’s Skyline Suite got a holiday makeover, with decorations and game-day food like sliders, dips and sweets. Mike Singletary and Charles Peanut Tillman filmed their appearances there, celebrating Darlene’s 500th Bears game.

The sequence brought together the main cast, dozens of extras and a crew working to keep everyone camera-ready through multiple angles and repeated takes. Between shots, the former players went over their lines and timing. Singletary praised Tillman’s natural screen presence, while Tillman enjoyed sharing another kind of stage with the Hall of Fame linebacker.

The football connections continued when Tillman met Jake Connelly, the Arlington Heights native known for playing Derek in Season 5 of Stranger Things. A devoted Bears fan, Connelly had jumped at the chance to take part in the tailgate scene. Tillman and Singletary were both among his favorite players.

The Tailgate Was Filled With Actual Bears Fans

Instead of relying only on generic background dressing, the production welcomed hundreds of Bears fans as extras. Many brought their own tailgating gear, filling the scene with team memorabilia, decorated vehicles and an appearance by Bearman.

Season ticket holder Bill Flores brought his Bears van. The Chicago ironworker helped build the stadium and already had a family tailgating tradition with his wife and children. That personal history gave the scene something no prop department could manufacture: genuine emotional investment.

The Christmas Market Came With Football-Star Surprises

Five days after the main Soldier Field shoot, the production moved to its downtown holiday market. The festive setting brought together a familiar Chicago Christmas tradition and cameos from tight end Colston Loveland and former Bears defensive lineman Dan Hampton.

Their encounter with the romantic leads was deliberately low-key and playful. Even football celebrities, apparently, appreciate finding a good pretzel.

A Pretzel Question Leaves Matt Starstruck

Loveland and Hampton approach Matt and Avery to ask where they got their oversized pretzels. Matt struggles to respond in Loveland’s presence, so Avery gives them the answer. The players return later in the market sequence after sticking around for the bags tournament.

Loveland found the filmmaking process fascinating, especially the actors’ preparation and ability to adjust their delivery. He saw a parallel with professional football: knowing the assignment matters, but so does adapting in the moment.

The market scenes also feature Barbara Alyn Woods as Jody. Raised in Darien, Woods remains a proud Bears supporter, with family throughout the Chicago area. The hometown setting and her favorite team made the project an immediate draw. It also brought back memories of living downtown during the Bears’ celebrated 1985 season.

The Bears Family Was Everywhere, Even When You Might Not Notice

The celebrity cameos are easy to spot, but the organization’s involvement goes much deeper. Bears employees appeared as fans and party guests, giving colleagues an unusual chance to connect outside their regular jobs.

James McCaskey, director of financial planning and analysis, described it as a rare opportunity to spend time with coworkers in a completely different setting. For staff, being part of a Hallmark movie was hardly an ordinary workday.

A Fire Chief, a Dinner Party and a Charitable Connection

Bears vice president Patrick McCaskey filmed an appearance as a fire chief at a local fire station. Longtime season ticket holders and Bears Care supporters Julia and Ken Wegner also joined the Logan Square holiday dinner scene as walk-on extras.

Their participation came with a particularly sweet backstory. Ken surprised Julia, a Hallmark fan, with the opportunity through a donation to Bears Care, bringing two of their shared interests together for one memorable evening.

Ben Johnson and Cole Kmet Took Their Talents to the Screen

On July 17, filming moved to Halas Hall and the Walter Payton Center. Senior vice president of security John Tarpey played a receptionist, while a fictional Bears Bearing Gifts charity party brought together coach Ben Johnson, his wife Jessica, Cole Kmet, Connie Payton, Katie Poles and Staley Da Bear.

For the Johnsons, the appearance had a full-circle feel. They’d spent date nights watching Hallmark movies while Ben coached in Miami. Kmet, meanwhile, joked that his coach’s acting suggested secret lessons, rather than football preparation.

Underneath the snow, cameos and Christmas decorations, that sense of connection is the real attraction. The production made Bears fans, employees, players and families part of the story, not merely its backdrop. For a holiday romance built around community, that might be its most winning move.