EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WIVB) — If you take a walk down Main Street in East Aurora, you might notice the holiday magic that is growing throughout the community in June.
Hallmark’s “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story” continues to be filmed throughout the community, and local businesses are decked out to help celebrate the Christmas cheer.
“It’s invigorating, it makes everyone happy,” said Holly Schiferle, who brought her 88-year-old mother to the village for the day.
Schiferle shared with us how she was an extra for the scenes filmed at Highmark Stadium.
“I was one of the extras at the stadium as part of that joyful, jubilant crowd,” said Schiferle. “There were Bills Santa hats, and Mrs. Clause was there, and Santa, and all the typically fall and winter personnel you see in that crowd. It was exciting and fun.”
The Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce said that on Tuesday the movie crew and 175 extras will be recreating the East Aurora holiday tradition, the Carolcade on Main Street. The shoot was originally planned for Monday but was delayed to Tuesday due to weather.
“We love the Bills, we love our community, and to think we’re going to have a film here — we’re just excited,” said Sandy Roemer, an East Aurora resident who will be an extra in the movie. “I am thrilled. I love this community, I love Western New York, I love Buffalo. I love all what we do.”
Hallmark has been filming in East Aurora at various locations, including inside Vidler’s 5 & 10 on Monday. The movie production crews created an aisle full of Vidler’s holiday decorations and real Buffalo products.
“I think that’s one of the reasons everybody likes it, they’re making a real point, they’re using Buffalo products, the Buffalo names,” said Don Vidler.
“Buffalo, Orchard Park, East Aurora — they’re actually characters in this movie, not a movie coming in, filming and then pretending to be some place else in Connecticut or Rhode Island, or an imaginary town,” said Victoria Sturman, the executive director of the Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce.
Sturman says that due to the filming tomorrow, Main Street from Olean Road to Elm/Riley Streets will not have street parking available, and Main Street will start closing to street traffic from 2 p.m. until midnight.
The film is expected to be released this holiday season.