I Experienced Door County’s New Christmas Movie Trail
A new movie trail in Door County highlights filming locations for “A Cherry Pie Christmas.”
I’ve visited Door County many, many times over the last three decades, but never in December, opting instead to head to this part of Wisconsin for hikes among fall foliage, beach walks during sunset, and witnessing the first signs of spring.
But now that I’ve strolled along snow-dusted, quiet streets, sipped coffee and cocoa on repeat, and bundled up in my cutest holiday sweaters, I’m left wondering why I didn’t book a pre-holiday trip sooner.
After seeing “A Cherry Pie Christmas” soon after its November release on streaming services (Amazon, TubiTV, RokuTV, PlutoTV, Vizio, and XumoTV), I vowed to squeeze in a trip before Christmas. The movie was shot and set entirely in Door County, the latest holiday film by seasoned director John Stimpson. His past flicks include “A Very Vermont Christmas,” which, like this one, draws upon its setting.
Starring Katie Leclerc as Emma Parker, a Chicago pastry chef and Door County native who grew up on a cherry orchard (hold your horses, it’s not Seaquist or Lautenbach’s: it’s the fictitious Parker family), the film tells the sweet story, but also a challenging conflict, of running a family business versus chasing a career in the Big City. Of course, this trope is familiar to anyone who’s watched at least three holiday movies. Naturally, there’s also a love interest: Emma’s high-school sweetheart, Mitch Henriksen, played by Ryan Carnes, and a fictitious heir to the real Henriksen Fisheries in Ellison Bay.
My trip coincides with the film’s free premiere screening at Door Community Auditorium, where locals clapped each time one of their own appeared on screen, including Destination Door County’s chief communications officer Jon Jarosh as a goofy Mr. Cherry Pie during the movie’s pie-judging contest. It’s strange to see, on a huge screen, the places you know so well, like Peninsula State Park’s Eagle Tower canopy walk in Fish Creek, where Mitch and Emma take a snowy hike. While the tower is closed between November and May, the scenes depict what it would look like if open during the winter, with snowflakes drifting at just the right speed, and it’s not too slippery to walk.
To celebrate the film’s release, there’s a new 16-stop Door County Christmas Movie Trail, where you can literally step into the businesses, restaurants, and orchards where the cast filmed scenes. From Milwaukee, it’s a three-hour drive north. If you’re competitive, know that there are prizes, like an official “A Cherry Pie Christmas” mug when you visit 10 of the film locations, and, if you check out all 16 stops, limited-edition “Wisconsin Cherry Pie” coffee roasted and ground by Door County Coffee is included.
My first stop was Renards Artisan Cheese in Sturgeon Bay, a creamery with one of Door County’s largest artisan food markets, and that includes its cheese. In the movie, Emma’s friend works there and gently steers Emma to try their Cheddar with Door County Cherries—made with cherries grown in the Parkers’ orchard, of course. Despite reports that this cheese has been flying out of the cooler, due to the movie’s popularity, I was lucky enough to score a wedge. Next, I swung by Novel Bay Booksellers in downtown Sturgeon Bay, where Emma chatted up a super-cute kid looking for a cookbook—and also encountered Mitch. It’s a small but charming shop with a large section up front dedicated to books by local authors. I flipped through the very greeting-card racks Emma tried to hide behind.
As it neared dark, I drove down a dead-end road to Waterfront Mary’s Bar & Grill, where I imagine it’s hopping on a summer night, but this evening, not so much. That’s because Mitch Henriksen wasn’t hosting a fish boil out back, right? As it was Friday, I ordered a cod fish fry and happily sipped an Old Fashioned, thrilled that in so many years of coming up to Door County, I may have just found my first true locals’ bar.
The next morning, I got up early as I expected a wait at one of Door County’s most popular breakfast spots: White Gull Inn, open year-round for lodging and food. This historic structure dates back to 1896 and is a block from Green Bay’s shoreline, tucked into downtown Fish Creek. I was thankful I wore a wintry-themed sweater, as nearly everyone else, including my waitress, was also adorned in holiday sweaters. The famed Door County cherry-stuffed French toast hit the spot, and I only waited 15 minutes for a table. In the film, Emma and Mitch enjoy soup here later in the day, which is another option on the menu.
Next, I was off to the Door County Christkindl Market, which unfortunately wrapped its final weekend of the season Dec. 12-14 but is worth planning for should it return in 2026. Hosted at Corner of the Past Museum—a collection of super-cute, log-cabin buildings dating back to 1875 at the Anderson family’s Sister Bay homestead—I even got to meet Leclerc, Carnes, and Stimpson for a poster signing. There was a line snaking out the door of one of the historic buildings, where this meet-and-greet was held. I also spotted what may be the same alpacas from the movie. In one barn were food stalls—including the actual popcorn truck that’s in the movie, parked where a holiday-party scene was filmed.
Before that night’s film premiere, I pointed the car North to Henriksen Fisheries and found the store prepped for movie fans with a line of apparel Mitch and other workers wear in the movie. Out back was their FV The Roamer, a boat used for commercial fishing that also appeared on screen. As I walked to my car, a minivan pulled up, and a gaggle of women hopped out, rushing into the store in their holiday sweaters. I’m sure they were following the movie trail just like me. On my way back south down the peninsula, I stopped at Tannenbaum Holiday Shop, a year-round Christmas store in Sister Bay, which has been in business since 1978. This is where Mitch takes Emma on a date, and they wander among decorated holiday trees and glittering lights. I was more fascinated by the glass ornaments, as there’s one for every hobby and snack, including knitting and Swedish fish, and, surprisingly, cherry-pie slices.
While I don’t get to check off all the film locations on this trip, I can say I’ve been to them—just not this month. For instance, Scaturo’s Baking Company & Café’s cherry turnovers are the perfect road-trip snack to grab on your way home from Door County. Founder Rob Scaturo plays himself in the movie, and spoiler alert: He does very well in the film’s cherry-pie baking contest. And, just last October, I walked on the Ephraim waterfront, near Anderson Dock, where Emma and Mitch added their names to the dockside warehouse wall when they were dating.
On my way home, I made two stops. At Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market, I expected to see Emma or her parents—played by Ed Amatrudo and Deborah Farentino—tending to customers. I’ve driven past the orchard’s cherry trees during spring and summer and always marvel at how gorgeous they are. Today, just like in the movie, they were dusted with snow. I snagged a slice of cherry pie to enjoy later. Next, I popped into Door County Coffee, one of the area’s rare year-round cafes, where Emma meets with her friend from Renards Artisan Cheese to sample a cheese platter. Even though I ordered a coffee to-go, next time I’m getting the cherry pie latte, an iced latte topped with brown sugar and cinnamon cold foam for a festive holiday drink.
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