It still looks like Christmas in Long Grove, and there’s a good reason for the (way-too-early) season, as Kate Chappell explains.
It still looks like Christmas in Long Grove, and there's a good reason for the (way-too-early) season.
Mario Lopez, his wife Courtney, and their son, Nico, were recently in Lake County to film an upcoming holiday movie, and they were taken by the area.
"We absolutely love the town. Everyone is awesome here and has really embraced us. It’s the perfect, quaint, charming holiday town," said Lopez.
It's so perfect, in fact, Lopez's movie is the fourth holiday flick to film in the village in the past four years.
"It’s that small town feel. It’s charming. It has that historic look to it. It feels like community," said local business owner Gina Andaas.
Andaas' store, Vintage Charm Homestead, will be featured in the film.
"It’s surreal," said Andaas. "But it’s also just been a great experience. It's been bonding for the different merchants around town."
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The Sock Monkey Museum, which was recently awarded a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of the vintage toys, will also be featured.
"Once they walked through that door, they saw the magic of this place, and they said we’re writing this in the script. And they did," said Michael Okun, co-owner of the museum.
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The film's producers plan to not only keep the business names intact, but also the village itself.
"It’s really exciting. The script obviously wasn’t written with 'Long Grove,'" said Okun. "But once they saw the town, they changed the name."
While in town, the Lopez family dined at local restaurants and spent time with residents. They also experienced all Chicago has to offer.
"We’ve experienced every season here. Snow, it’s been hot, all in one day. It’s been wild," said Lopez. "I got to take my son to Wrigley Field, which was really cool."
In the film, Lopez plays the town mayor. It's a holiday love story in which he reconnects with a childhood friend. There's also a dance number and song. His wife, Courtney, co-stars in the movie.
"We look forward to the people of Long Grove seeing all the love that’s given to their town because we really did have a great time," said Courtney Lopez.
My Grown Up Christmas Wish will debut in November.
