Images via That’s 4 Entertainment

Christmas Con has spread holiday cheer to both the West Coast and the East Coast for the past few years, but in 2023… there’s no place like Christmas in the Midwest! That’s 4 Entertainment has announced that they will bring their beloved holiday convention filled with festive vendors, audience-engaging seasonal games and the opportunity to see your favorite Christmas movie stars up close when Christmas Con comes to Kansas in June—hosted by Jonathan Bennett!

The event will run from June 9-11 at Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park—just minutes from the heart of Kansas City! Tickets are currently on sale at Thats4Entertainment.com.

Check out the full list of celebrity guests who are currently scheduled to attend the Kansas event!*

L-R: Drew and Bruening (Photos: Courtesy)

Christmas in July just ended, but the holiday season pregaming continues with the official detailed announcement of two more movies that are coming to Lifetime‘s beloved It’s A Wonderful Lifetime programming event, which is set to return in October.

For Sarah Drew‘s (Amber Brown) previously announced “Reindeer Games Homecoming”, Lifetime has revealed that the actress will reunite with her former “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star, Justin Bruening (Sweet Magnolias). Drew penned the script for this film, and will also serve as executive producer!

Lifetime’s own ‘Queen of Christmas’, Melissa Joan Hart, will direct “Santa Bootcamp”, her fourth directed picture for the network, which will reunite her with Tony® award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray); the two co-starred in 2018’s “A Very Nutty Christmas”.  The movie will also star Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead), Justin Gaston (Nashville), Patrick Cassidy (Castle) and EGOT award winner Rita Moreno (West Side Story).

“I have always been a holiday person… particularly Christmas. The idea that I’m actually going to participate in this wonderful Lifetime Christmas movie, Santa Bootcamp, just tickles me to no end,” said Moreno. “I have been known, at Christmas time, to decorate anyone in my house who happens to stand still for more than a minute. I will decorate anyone and anything because I turn into a child. Therefore, what a treat for me! Thank you Lifetime. My grandchildren are already celebrating!”

According to a press release from Lifetime, ‘Santa Bootcamp will also showcase the network’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity, as deaf actors Deanne Bray and Zyra Singleton will be joining the cast.’  Read more about the movies below!

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Despite a lot of setbacks due to the pandemic, Christmas Con NJ finally went off without a hitch last December for the second annual installment of the holiday event that brought Christmas movie fans, the stars, and festive activities together in one place to celebrate the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ — and it’s coming back this year for round three of holiday cheer!

That’s 4 Entertainment announced the first 10 celebrity guests out of the 30 who will be in attendance for Christmas Con New Jersey* when it takes place this December 9, 10 and 11th at the NJ Expo Center in Edison, NJ, including returning host Jonathan Bennett and headliner Lacey Chabert.  Show hours are: Friday 12/9 – 2pm-8pm, Saturday 12/10 – 10am-6pm and Sunday, 12/11 – 10am-5pm.  Check out the first batch of stars announced below!

UPDATE (9/18/22): We have updated the attendance list with a plethora of celebrities who will be taking part in the event!

UPDATE (11/7/22): Kimberley Sustad and Kristoffer Polaha had to cancel their appearances at Christmas Con: New Jersey 2022 due to scheduling conflicts.

UPDATE (11/10/22): Victor Webster had to cancel his appearance at Christmas Con: New Jersey 2022 due to scheduling conflicts. Jessica Lowndes and Benjamin Ayres have been added to the attendance list!

Need a little bit of holiday cheer to lift your spirits? Christmas Con has you covered!

That’s 4 Entertainment has announced Christmas Con Virtual, a special virtual event with some of your favorite Christmas movie actors that’s launching this weekend!

Scheduled across two weekends (August 22-23 and August 29-30), the virtual convention will feature four types of fan experiences you can purchase — and availability is worldwide! You can have a one-on-one video chat with your favorite Christmas Con star or a personalized recorded message, which can be used as a gift for a fellow fan or a friend. There will also be a celebrity panel hosted by Jonathan Bennett that will be held each day of the virtual con and will be free to all who sign up. Additionally you can purchase an autograph from the participating talent.

(L-R): Haddish, Stoker and Priestley. | Photos courtesy of Lifetime

As we get closer and closer to the holiday season, Lifetime has given us a summer treat with a preview of their upcoming 2020 It’s A Wonderful Lifetime programming slate…and it’s going to be the networks biggest year for Christmas! With 30 new movies and over 1200 hours of programming on the agenda, Lifetime is planning to go full-festive 24/7 from mid-October through December.

There will be many network favorites returning as well as some fresh faces, and the network is committed to include ‘diverse storytelling with its storylines, talent and characters,’ including their first LGBTQ-led Christmas movie, “The Christmas Setup” and a film centered on a Chinese-American Family in “A Sugar & Spice Holiday”, directed by Jennifer Liao and written by Eirene Donohue. Both movies are currently casting and go into production this month.

“We are thrilled to continue our legacy of creating a holiday destination that is welcoming to all at Lifetime,” said Amy Winter, EVP and Head of Programming, Lifetime and LMN. “With more new movies than any one cable network for streamer, I couldn’t be prouder of the incredible talent joining us in front of, and behind the camera, on these new holiday movies.”

As previously reported: Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez are back for this year’s lineup; Hart will team up with Jason Priestley and Robin Givens for “Dear Christmas”, while Betty White will star in her own film, and Kelly Rowland will return for the sequel to the 2019 holiday hit “Merry Liddle Christmas”. Tiffany Haddish is set to executive produce “Christmas Unwrapped” led by Amber Stevens West, Marco Grazzini and Cheryl Ladd, and Tony® award winning actress Ali Stroker will lead her first Christmas movie in “Christmas Ever After”.

While a full programming report will be released in September, check out this sneak peek below!

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IMPORTANT UPDATE (10/02/20): That’s 4 Entertainment announced today that they have officially postponed the Christmas Con New Jersey event to next year due to the pandemic. The new dates are December 10th-12th of 2021. Refunds are available if you can not make the event next year, but if you can, hold onto your tickets as they will be valid for the new dates!

FYI: The California event has also been postponed.

Christmas Con is coming back to New Jersey! Last year That’s 4 Entertainment held the the first-ever Christmas convention that featured holiday fun along with many of your favorite stars from Christmas movies and other popular creatives in the festive field. The LollyChristmas.com team was able to attend, and we had a merry blast!

Many thought with the announcement of Christmas Con: California that the event would be moving location entirely, but due to the success, Christmas Con will be returning to the Garden State this December with several returning stars plus additional fan-favorites for a weekend filled with cheer.

(L-R) White, Hart, Lopez and Rowland | Photos Courtesy of Lifetime

It’s been a very anxious and uncertain time lately, which makes the news of Betty White starring in an upcoming Christmas movie even more exciting!

Lifetime announced that the iconic actress, known for her roles in “Golden Girls”, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Hot in Cleveland”, will lead an upcoming film — currently untitled — for their annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime holiday programming. The network says the eight-time Emmy winner will play a character that ‘helps whip would-be Santas into shape, spreading the true meaning of Christmas and leading everyone to wonder: Is she secretly Mrs. Claus?’

Photos: All photos belong to LollyChristmas.com except the Christmas Con Logo (That’s 4 Entertainment).

There are many things I love to do at Christmas every year; I love the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Preview weekends, decorating in early November, when the Starbucks red cup comes out and they drop the menu of festive drinks, looking at the Christmas lights around my town, seeing the decorations in the department stories, watching Christmas movies, listening to music – and most of all, spending time with my family. Imagine my absolute joy when I found out there was a way I could do nearly all of that in one place… enter the first annual CHRISTMAS CON!

That’s 4 Entertainment created the first ever 3-day winter wonderland convention of fun where you can shop for gifts, window shop decor, listen to music and engage with your favorite stars from beloved Christmas made-for-television films that help make your seasons bright every year.  The event, which was held November 8-10th at the NJ Convention and Expo Center in Edison, NJ, was then sponsored by the Hallmark Channel, which resulted in even more promised holiday magic!

When my daughters and I originally heard about the convention a few months ago, we knew it was going to be something we had to be apart of — I mean, this lineup was insane, we’re talking appearances from stars like: Chad Michael Murray, Melissa Joan Hart, Holly Robinson Peete, Lacey Chabert, Alicia Witt (who also performed!), Andrew Walker, Cameron Mathison, Ryan Paevey, Jackée Harry, Nikki DeLoach, Erin Krakow, Paul Greene, Melissa Claire Egan, Rachel Boston, Danica McKellar, Jack Wagner, Jesse Metcalfe, Ashley Williams and Jonathan Bennett, who also served as the M.C.

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Wow, this has to be one of the most exciting posts to do yet. If you’ve been following along with me on Twitter, you may have seen me posting about Christmas Con, which is coming to New Jersey for three days in early November with some of your favorite holiday movie stars!

This jolly convention, presented by That’s 4 Entertainment, has been described as Comic-Con-meets-Small-Town-Holiday-Festival. You’ll be able to buy one of a kind holiday gifts from the “Christmas Market”, visit with Santa Claus himself, and visit various celebrity booths to meet your favorite stars!

Each celebrity guest will offer professional photo ops and take place in a Q&A panel to engage with the audience. Christmas Con will also support Toys for Tots by donating gifts; feel free to participate by bringing a toy to donate.

The convention will also host special events: Alicia Witt in Concert, an Ugly Sweater Contest and a Gingerbread Wars competition — all hosted by Jonathan Bennett! Additionally, there will be a “Creating Christmas” writers panel and “Podcasting Christmas” podcaster panel.

Christmas Con will take place this November 8, 9 & 10th at the NJ Convention and Expo Center in Edison, NJ. Show hours are: Friday 5-8pm, Saturday: 10am-7pm and Sunday: 10am-5pm.

L-R: Melissa Joan Hart, Marie Osmond, Marla Sokoloff & Keshia Knight Pulliam | Photos: Lifetime

Lifetime has been increasing their Christmas cheer little by little each year, and it looks like they’re officially hit peak holiday spirit because we’ll be getting non-stop festive programming this year…starting in October!

The network’s annual holiday programming slate, It’s A Wonderful Lifetime, which usually doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving, will kick off on October 25 and run through December 25 – aka – Christmas Day with a record-setting 28 original movies. You’ll also be able to enjoy those premieres plus old favorites 24-hours a day, seven-days-a-week, throughout the season.

Lifetime has released information on 6 out of the 28 original films — including another movie featuring a mini-“One Tree Hill” reunion, which was a hit last year, as well as more fan-favorites: Melissa Joan Hart, Tia Mowry-Hardict, Marie Osmond and Keisha Knight Pulliam, for starters.

Get the scoop below!