Adopting St. Nick: Hallmark's Halloween-Night Christmas Movie

The Short Version

Adopting St. Nick premieres on Hallmark Channel on Saturday 31 October 2026 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, part of this year's Countdown to Christmas. Yes, it's a Christmas movie airing on Halloween night. Hallmark doesn't do seasons, it does Christmas and the bits in between.

The Cast

Amy Groening as Maren
Michael Rady as Reid
Taylor Blake as Leah, Maren's adopted daughter
Randy Apostle as Kris

The Story

Maren is a busy single mum who runs the hardware store her late father left her, and she's forever fixing things for the rest of town. Her daughter Leah signs up for a volunteer programme at Jolly Acres, a new retirement community, and gets paired with Kris, a jolly resident with an uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus. (We repeat: his name is Kris.)

At Jolly Acres Maren meets Reid, the centre's nomadic "Director of Community Launch and Operations", who moves from town to town opening new sites. Then the contractor building the community room pulls out, and the whole programme is in trouble. Maren picks up her toolbox to finish the job. Spending all that time with Reid, she slowly learns it's fine to accept help instead of carrying everything herself.

Reid has his own dilemma: a job offer that would take him far from the people who've become his community. With "some Christmas magic — and a little assist from Kris", in Hallmark's words, everyone finds where they belong.

Why It's Worth a Look

It's Michael Rady's first new Christmas movie since 2023. And it's a rom-com where the heroine owns the power tools, which is a nice change from the usual cookie-baking.

FAQ

When does Adopting St. Nick air?

Saturday 31 October 2026, 8 p.m. ET/PT, on Hallmark Channel.

Is Kris really Santa?

The movie isn't telling, and neither are we. But the name, the beard and the "Christmas magic" make a strong case.

The Closing Line

A single mum who can fix anything meets a man who never stays anywhere, and a Santa lookalike quietly runs the whole operation from a retirement home. The North Pole's succession plan is looking solid.

Sources: Entertainment Now, TVLine. Follow the live countdown.