KC’s Hallmark Christmas Experience returns for 3rd year: Celebrity lineup revealed
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hallmark Christmas Experience returns to Crown Center for a third year in 2026.
- Event will run over four weekends from Thanksgiving to Christmas beginning Nov. 27.
- Tickets go on sale to the public May 18 with presales beginning Thursday.
The popular Hallmark Christmas Experience will return to Crown Center for a third year in 2026 and, no, it’s not too early for diehard fans to start thinking about the holidays.
On Tuesday Hallmark released the lineup of popular Hallmark Channel stars coming to Kansas City for this year’s event. It takes place over four weekends from Thanksgiving to Christmas beginning Nov. 27.
Tickets to the public go on sale May 18, but presales begin Thursday.
The now-annual event transforms Crown Center into a holiday town square. It’s a festive open market with local vendors, food and drink, nightly light displays, live musical performances and create-and-learn workshops with Hallmark artists and writers. The Mayor’s Christmas tree is the centerpiece.
One fan on Instagram asked about the future of the event given the plan to build a new Kansas City Royals stadium at Crown Center. That project, a joint partnership with Hallmark, calls for the company’s headquarters to be torn down.
“We will post about future Hallmark Channel Experiences as soon as we have news,” Hallmark responded.
New to this year’s Christmas Experience: sneak peeks at upcoming “Countdown to Christmas” movies, including “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True” and “A Grand Biltmore Christmas.”
Here’s this year’s celebrity lineup, which is subject to change:
Weekend one, Nov. 27-29: Jonathan Bennett (Host), Andrew Walker, B.J. Britt, Brooke D’Orsay, Erin Cahill, Hunter King, Lacey Chabert, Melissa Peterman, Nikki DeLoach, Scott Michael Foster, Taylor Cole, and Tyler Hynes.
Weekend two, Dec. 4-6: Jonathan Bennett (Host), Alison Sweeney, Brendan Penny, Emilie Ullerup, Heather Hemmens, Holland Roden, Kristoffer Polaha, Niall Matter, Nikki DeLoach, Rachel Boston, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Tyler Hynes, and Wes Brown.
Weekend three, Dec. 11-13: Jonathan Bennett (Host), Benjamin Ayres, Ben Rosenbaum, Bethany Joy Lenz, Chris McNally, Erin Krakow, Jack Wagner, Jill Hennessy, Kavan Smith, Kevin McGarry, Lachlan Quarmby, Lori Loughlin, Pascale Hutton, and Viv Leacock.
Weekend four, Dec. 18-20: Jonathan Bennett (Host), Ashley Williams, Autumn Reeser, Catherine Bell, Holly Robinson Peete, James Denton, Kimberley Sustad, Lyndsy Fonseca, Paul Campbell, Robert Buckley, Victor Webster, and Will Kemp.
A new “Make Memories” ticket package includes access to all “Stars on Stage” panel discussions and the Saturday Night Showcase, meet-and-greet breakfasts with the Hallmark stars, access to a special lounge area and other perks.
Three ticket packages are available: $299 ($259 early bird special), $749 ($699 early bird) and the new “Make Memories” offering at $1,799.
Early bird pricing runs from Thursday through June 15. Tickets to the public go on sale at 10 a.m. Central on May 18. They’re available at ExperienceHallmarkChristmas.com.
This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 2:35 PM.
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