KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
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When you walk into Wild About Harry on Independence Square, you’ll see a Hallmark tribute wall nestled between the rest of the normal merchandise.
The store was one of the spaces featured in the Chiefs Hallmark movie — "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story."
Owner Cindy McClain said her multiple spaces were used on and off-screen. Wild About Harry was transformed into the KC Corner Store and fan cave, and her inn above Ophelia’s was used as a last-minute dressing room for the cast one night.
Some other spaces transformed were Square Pizza and Direct Casket Outlet. They were used for Donna Kelce’s BBQ restaurant and Ed Begley’s hardware store, respectively.
“It was great and it felt good," McClain said. "… You just feel like you have the right home for something. They liked the layout, and they liked the way that all the red would look in the store because they filled it to the brim with Chiefs shirts."
McClain said the most exciting part for her was watching the behind-the-scenes movie magic in her store and on the square, but also seeing so many people come to Independence to watch with her.
“[Hallmark fans] are not just fans," McClain said. "They are in love with Hallmark movies, and I think that that has been what has driven people to come up and just be in the space where the actors were, where the crew was, where the magic hat lived. It's just kind of this magical feeling that Hallmark fans get about their movies, and I love that."
Wild About Harry’s general manager said they’ve already had people visiting from out of state to see Independence Square before going to the Crown Center Hallmark Experience.
The Independence Square Association is creating a map of all the spots featured in the film. It will post the map on social media for fans to view and use when they visit.
