Photos and screengrabs: Crown Media

It may be October, but haul out the holly because Christmas has officially hit the Hallmark Channel!

Candace Cameron Bure hosted the annual Countdown to Christmas Preview Special last night where she gave viewers a super sneak peek at some of the movies premiering during the 2020 Countdown to Christmas lineup, and guess what, the holiday programming begins NEXT WEEK! You read that right, Hallmark Channel will kick off their festive slate on Friday, October 23rd with the first premiere, “Jingle Bell Bride” starring Julie Gonzalo and Ronnie Rowe Jr., rolling out on Saturday, October 24th at 8pm/7c!  Candace will also star in a brand-new movie, “If I Only Had Christmas” that premieres during the 7 Night Thanksgiving Event, which she will host as well.

The elegantly decorated location for the special was gorgeous, and Candace looked stunning in her red half-bow dress (get more details on her Festive Fashion here). I also really loved the way she introduced each film by picking up a giant ornament featuring the move title written on the bauble, and then placed it on the tree. So sweet. Check out the movies Candace previewed for us below!

Photos: Crown Media; Alexia MariaPhotos: Crown Media; Alexia Maria

Candace Cameron Bure will return as a host the annual Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas Preview Special this weekend, and her holiday spirit was evident in the festive fashion she’s wearing to perform hosting duties!

The network fan-favorite, who’s starring in this year’s “If I Only Had Christmas” alongside Warren Christie, wore a beautiful red Alexia María ‘Estelle’ Mini Dress featuring an oversized half bow with pleated sash that was reminiscent of a holiday gift package!  Candace’s exact dress is available in many colors (including red!) for $795 at AlexiaMaria.com.

Photo: Crown Media

We’re getting closer to the kick off of Christmas programming on the Hallmark Channel because we’ll finally get to see Candace Cameron Bure host the 2020 Countdown to Christmas Preview Special!

This one-hour special will offer viewers a sneak peek at original holiday movies that are part of the network’s Countdown to Christmas slate this year!  The promo for the special included little clips of the upcoming movies “One Royal Holiday”, “A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado”, “The Christmas House”, and “Jingle Bell Bride”, so maybe those are a few of the movies we’ll get a closer look at!

Watch the promo advertisement below and tune in this Saturday, October 17th at 11pm/10c on Hallmark Channel to get into the holiday spirit with Candace!

Photo: Candace Cameron Bure (Crown Media)

Due to the unprecedented year we’ve been having, and the altered schedules, we didn’t have our usual Christmas: A First Look Preview Special on Hallmark back in July during Christmas Keepsake Week, so it’s certainly been a question of when we’d finally get that official first look. Hallmark movies have been in production for a few weeks now, so it was anticipated we’d get a preview special closer to the kickoff of the holiday programming on October 23rd, and if what I stumbled across on the Hallmark website is correct…we will be.

According to Hallmark’s website, Candace Cameron Bure will host the 2020 Countdown to Christmas Preview Special, a one-hour preview of Hallmark Channel’s upcoming Countdown to Christmas holiday movies on Saturday, October 17th at 11pm/10c.

2020 Miracles of Christmas Preview Special, a first look at the upcoming Miracles of Christmas original holiday movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, will air the following evening on Sunday, October 18th at 11pm/10c. The host is currently listed as TBA (To Be Announced).

(Update: 9/22/20) — The 2020 Miracles of Christmas Preview Special will be hosted by Jen Lilley and Trevor Donovan as they have an upcoming Christmas movie together!

It could end up being like last year where Candace hosted both specials — time will tell — but it’s nice to see a little bit of our festive routine back. I’ll keep you posted on further details.

Stay merry!