Honestly, I didn’t expect to spend my Tuesday night crying over a cherry orchard. But here we are.
If you’ve been scrolling through Great American Family or caught a random trailer on YouTube recently, you’ve probably seen the buzz. The movie is called A Wisconsin Christmas Pie (sometimes titled A Cherry Pie Christmas on streaming), and it’s doing something most holiday rom-coms fail to do. It’s making people actually care about the setting as much as the romance.
It stars Katie Leclerc—who you might remember from Switched at Birth—as Emma Parker. She’s a high-end pastry chef in Chicago who has to head back to her roots in Door County, Wisconsin. Why? Because the family cherry orchard is about to be sold to developers. It’s a classic trope. Girl leaves big city. Girl finds out home is in trouble. Girl meets a hunky guy from her past.
But there’s a specific magic here that feels different from your standard, cookie-cutter Hallmark flick.
What Really Happens in A Wisconsin Christmas Pie
The plot is straightforward, but the stakes feel surprisingly real if you’ve ever lived in a small town. Emma finds herself back at Parker Orchards, only to realize her parents (played by Ed Amatrudo and Debrah Farentino) are struggling. To save the farm, she enters the local holiday pie bake-off at the Christkindlmarkt in Sister Bay.
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The catch? She needs her grandmother’s secret recipe, and a key ingredient is missing.
Enter Mitch, played by Ryan Carnes. He’s the high school sweetheart who stayed behind. He’s running Henriksen Fisheries now—which is actually based on a real-life Door County business, by the way. Their chemistry is natural. It doesn't feel forced or overly "actor-y." They spend a lot of time "practicing" pies, and the cinematography makes you want to reach through the screen and grab a slice.
More Than Just a Movie Set
What most people get wrong is thinking this was filmed on a backlot in Vancouver or Georgia. Nope. This was shot entirely on location in Door County.
That matters.
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You can see the real-life Lautenbach’s Orchard Country (which stands in for Parker Orchards). You see the White Gull Inn, Door County Coffee, and Novel Bay Booksellers. It’s basically a love letter to the "Cape Cod of the Midwest." There’s a scene at Anderson Dock that is genuinely stunning. Even the extras are real locals—over 400 of them volunteered to be in the background.
The Secret Ingredient Mystery
The movie centers on this "lost" ingredient. Without spoiling too much, Emma’s journey to find it is less about the sugar and more about the connection to her heritage.
People have been debating what it is online. Some think it's brandy—a Wisconsin staple. Others guess it's a specific type of local cheese. The film actually partnered with the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, so keep an eye out for a cameo by Renard’s Artisan Cheese. Specifically, their Door County Cherry Cheddar makes an appearance that’ll make your mouth water.
Why It Hits Differently
Let’s be real. Most holiday movies are background noise. You fold laundry while a girl in a red coat falls for a guy in a flannel shirt.
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A Wisconsin Christmas Pie works because it leans into the regional identity. It doesn't just say "we're in a small town." It says "we're in this town." It mentions the fish boils. It shows the Sister Bay Cherry Drop. It features Green Bay Packers legend Ahman Green as a pie judge. That kind of local flavor is rare.
Director John Stimpson actually filmed during a real blizzard. Ryan Carnes mentioned in an interview that the first day of shooting on the water involved actual white-out conditions. You can’t fake that kind of atmosphere with a snow machine and some soap suds.
Where Can You Watch It?
If you missed the October premiere on Great American Family, you aren't out of luck.
- Great American Pure Flix: It’s been streaming there since mid-October 2025.
- Free Services: Look for it under the title A Cherry Pie Christmas on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Roku TV.
- Amazon: It’s a featured title on the "Always Christmas" channel.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you’ve watched the movie and now you're obsessed with the idea of a Wisconsin winter, don’t just sit there.
- Follow the Movie Trail: Destination Door County actually created an official 16-stop "A Wisconsin Christmas Pie" movie trail. You can visit the exact spots where Emma and Mitch hung out.
- Get the Coffee: Door County Coffee & Tea Co. released a limited-edition "Wisconsin Cherry Pie" roast. It’s real, and it smells incredible.
- Try the Pie: If you can’t make it to Sturgeon Bay, you can order frozen Door County cherry pies online from places like Lautenbach's. They ship nationwide.
- Check the Calendar: If you’re planning a trip for late 2026, aim for the Christkindlmarkt dates in Sister Bay. That’s where the climax of the movie takes place, and the real-life version is just as cozy.
The movie isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s just a really well-made, heart-on-its-sleeve story about home. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need when the temperature drops.