Carlinville, Illinois, is about to have a very festive holiday season.
Hallmark officially named the small Macoupin County town the grand prize winner of its first-ever Merriest Christmas Towns Contest—and the big reveal happened today, October 15, right at the Carlinville Courthouse.
The town was already a finalist, but Hallmark decided the news deserved an in-person delivery, turning the courthouse into a full-on holiday celebration with food, music, and Christmas activities curated by the network.
Company executives showed up alongside four stars from Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas lineup: Jonathan Bennett, Erin Cahill, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and Brendan Penny.
As the grand prize winner of Hallmark’s Merriest Christmas Town Contest, Carlinville will have the chance to serve as a filming location for a future Hallmark original holiday movie.
Carlinville takes the crown: wins Hallmark’s first-ever Merriest Christmas Towns Contest
A huge win for the community. Carlinville beat out 24 other finalists from across the country to take home the title of Hallmark’s Merriest Christmas Town of 2026. The winner was chosen through a combination of public votes and scores from a panel of judges, putting the small Illinois town at the top of Hallmark’s first-ever nationwide holiday contest.
For Chicagoans plotting a holiday road trip, Carlinville is about four hours southwest of the city, near Springfield—close enough for a weekend escape, far enough to feel like you’ve stepped into a Hallmark movie set.
