A Very Conn Christmas

Hallmark’s ‘Trivia at St. Nick’s’ was filmed on campus this summer

Fans of Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” series will recognize some familiar backdrops (and maybe even a few familiar faces) when Trivia at St. Nick’s airs on the famed holiday channel Nov. 8. Numerous scenes were filmed on campus this summer and members of the Conn community were invited to apply to be extras. 

Set during winter break at an elite university in Vermont (special effects will be used to achieve that signature “season of the sticks” look), the film follows Celeste (Tammin Sursok), a Type-A astronomy professor who is looking forward to the annual Christmas Bar Trivia Tournament, an event that combines the magic of Christmas with her greatest comfort in life: knowing the right answer. But when her colleague drops out to do a month-long lecture tour in Asia, Celeste’s team must adopt Max (Brant Daugherty), the football team’s new offensive coordinator, who strikes Celeste as nothing more than a grown-up class clown. If you happen to be new to Hallmark films, you’ll have to tune in to see what happens next! 

Writing about her experience as an extra in The College Voice, Mia Penasa ’27 jokes that she was “pulled from obscurity at 6:30 p.m. on a random Sunday to act alongside a main character … the classic college-student-on-summer-break-transformed-into-movie-star-in-less-than-24-hours narrative.” 

For several days, she and another Conn student filmed at multiple locations “deemed Hallmark-worthy” across campus—and learned a lot in the process.

“I not only gained an inside look at the College’s newfound claim to fame, but also found myself immersed in the process behind creating a large-scale production, witnessing every element from blocking to rehearsal to the grand finale,” Penasa wrote. 

“Though the temperature may have been 80 degrees, I nonetheless pulled on a sweater and boots each morning with a smile on my face, captivated by the (slightly sweaty) Christmas magic both students and the public alike will experience this winter.”

Trivia at St. Nick’s airs Friday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Central) on the Hallmark Channel.