Hallmark's 'Hanukkah on the Rocks' Is About Love and Courage, but Where Was it Filmed?

Back in September 2024, a crew of festively dressed filmmakers descended upon a charming little Northern town with the goal of creating the next heart-stealing Hallmark holiday movie: Hanukkah on the Rocks.

They succeeded in bringing the sweet and empowering love story to life, set against the backdrop of the kind of small town that ignites the imagination and makes you dream of quiet evenings in a cabin with a wood-burning fireplace and a charming town square to stroll around. But where exactly was Hanukkah on the Rocks filmed? Multiple locations, it turns out.

The first location to play host to the Hanukkah on the Rocks crew was Niverville, Manitoba, Canada. With a population of fewer than 6,000 people, the small town stopped the presses to welcome the film crew and shut down a popular restaurant on the main street to make filming work.

Local paper The Citizen interviewed executive producer Joey Plager, who explained, "We came to Niverville in part because there are tax incentives for shooting in Manitoba and for shooting outside of the urban core."

Other locations that hosted the film crew and played a background role in Hanukkah include Selkirk, Stonewall, and even downtown Winnipeg in Manitoba. Since it was filmed in September rather than the heart of winter, the film crew was able to feature the unique geographical character of Niverville.

Producer Joey added, "Most of our movie takes place in what we call our hero location, which is a bar in our movie. We shot that at Wee Johnny’s [Pub] right underneath Johnny G’s on McDermot in the Exchange District.”

Hanukkah on the Rocks promises to be another Hallmark holiday classic. The film's plot summary reads, "After getting laid off, Tory gets roped into bartending at a local bar during Hanukkah where she connects with the patrons — especially Jay and his grandfather Sam."

Like so many Hallmark movies, Hanukkah on the Rocks is about more than just a surprising situation and an even more surprising romance that develops as a result. For Jay and Tory, Hanukkah is about growing, learning, and transforming your life into something new.

At its core, of course, Hanukkah on the Rocks is about love, forging a new path in life, and having the courage to follow one through the other. With Hanukkah bringing the angst to the holidays, it's a good reminder that the path to happiness often takes us through our greatest challenges and insecurities on the road to joy.

The beating heart of Manitoba's expansive wintry landscape plays the background role in Hanukkah on the Rocks, making it the perfect film to turn on, grab some popcorn and hot chocolate, and snuggle up with that special someone.

Or perhaps that someone you hope will soon be your special someone. As the movie reminds us, sometimes you have to be brave to find love.