Peter Billingsley, Scott Schwartz, Ian Petrella, and other actors from original film to appear
HAMMOND, Ind. (December 13, 2023) – A Christmas Story is a classic tale that is watched by people all over the country each holiday season. And here in the Calumet Region, it has special meaning. It was inspired by a 1966 book titled “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash” by humorist, writer, and television and radio personality Jean Shepherd. Shepherd grew up in the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond, Indiana, and the movie is set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana (which is also the name of one of the main streets in Hammond).
The setting and characters in A Christmas Story are based off of some of Shepherd’s childhood experiences growing up in Hammond. And this month Hammond is celebrating the movie in a big way at the Indiana Welcome Center.
A Christmas Story Comes Home
For the past 16 years, the Indiana Welcome Center has featured a holiday exhibit called “A Christmas Story Comes Home” using window displays that had first appeared at Macy’s Department Store in New York. The six scenes take visitors back to pivotal points in the story. The displays are titled Higbee’s Department Store, Flick’s Tongue and the Triple Dog Dare, It’s a Major Award, Santa’s Mountain at Higbee’s, The Bumpus Hounds, and A Hero’s Dream.
In addition to movie scenes, visitors can also make their way up a life-sized Santa’s Mountain to make their wishes known to Mr. Claus. Special events have taken place during the season, as well, including the Mommy’s Little Piggy eating contest, a special night for first responder families, the All is Calm event for children with special needs and Santa photo sessions with pets.
Also part of the holiday festivities are a display of decorated trees and live entertainment on scheduled dates. The welcome center gets about 90,000 visitors a year and the exhibit alone brings in 30,000-35,000 visitors.
This year, there’s been a big addition to that calendar of events that was planned to commemorate the movie’s 40th anniversary — appearances by several actors from the original movie.
A major anniversary
This year marks 40 years since the movie was released and it’s also the 40th anniversary of the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority, which operates the Indiana Welcome Center. To commemorate those special dates, some appearances by actors from the movie are planned. Eight cast members will be in attendance this weekend on Saturday and Sunday to meet with fans and sign autographs.
“As our organization celebrates our 40th Anniversary milestone, it also coincides with the 40th Anniversary of the iconic film based in Hammond, Indiana – A Christmas Story,” said David Uran, President/CEO, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. “This year is especially exciting as we are reuniting and bringing home the actors who made this film so very special. The partnership with the city of Hammond will bring a weekend of festivities to the region, providing a very special Christmas gift to our residents and visitors alike.”
Meet the cast
Among the actors will be Peter Billingsley, who played the lead role of Ralphie Parker. According to Heather Becerra, Chief Marketing Officer, Billingsley hasn’t done an appearance with other cast members in 20 years, so it will be a rare opportunity to see all of these actors in one place.
Also attending from the original cast will be Scott Schwartz (Flick), Ian Petrella (Randy Parker), Yano Anaya (Grover Dill), R.D. Robb (Schwartz), Drew Hocevar (Male Elf), Patty LaFountain (Female Elf), and Dwayne McLean (Black Bart).
Cast members will be at the Indiana Welcome Center on December 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Admission to the event is free, but registration is required online at ralphiereturnshome.com. After reserving a free ticket, participatns can view additional information on autograph pricing.
The schedule includes photo opportunities, autograph sessions, and the Mommy’s Little Piggy Eating Contest with actor participation.
“The story has something we can all relate to: cold winters, hoping for that special gift on Christmas morning, the anticipation of sitting on Santa’s lap so you can tell him what you want for Christmas, getting your mouth washed out with soap, helping dad change a tire, the list goes on,” said Becerra.
The “A Christmas Story Comes Home” exhibit runs through December 30. For more on the exhibit, visit achristmasstorycomeshome.com.
