In honor of the 40th anniversary of the beloved Christmas classic “A Christmas Story,” Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie, along with other cast members, will be coming home to Hammond in just a few short weeks to celebrate. The crew will be getting together the weekend of December 16-17 in Northwest Indiana to reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy some quality time with each other and with fans as they look back on the immense impact the movie has had over the past four decades.
“I am so excited to come back,” Billingsley said. “It's obviously in many ways the epicenter of ‘A Christmas Story.’ Having gotten to know Jean (Shepherd), having learned a lot more about Jean and the history and the legacy, it'll be a really wonderful place to come back to.”
The casts’ visit will span the course of two days and include a star-studded list. Expected to attend, in addition to Billingsley, are Scott Schwartz (Flick), Ian Petrella (Randy Parker), Yano Anaya (Grover Dill), R.D. Robb (Schwartz), Drew Hocevar (Male Elf), Patty Johnson (Female Elf), and Dwayne McLean (Black Bart).
Seeing everybody again will be an exciting time for Billingsley. He noted that while everyone from the film has been able to keep in touch over the years, seeing each other in person hasn’t been as easy. The group has attempted meetups prior, but it never quite worked out to have everyone together in the same room at the exact same time. That all will change later this month, however, and Billingsley is ecstatic that this is going to happen.
“I think every friend group has one who's really good at keeping everyone in touch, and Scott Schwartz has been great about that. He has always reached out and seen everybody and kept in touch. He would then also update me on everyone else and vice versa. It's always nice when we have a chance to all be together in the same room,” Billingsley said. “It's pretty rare – even when we filmed the sequel in Bulgaria, it was great having everyone there, but just the way production schedules go, people are staggered for work, so we were never quite there at the same time.”
In addition to reconnecting with fellow cast members, Billingsley is also looking forward to learning and seeing more about the historic setting of the movie.
“I think to physically be there will be great and always just an opportunity to get to meet and connect with fans of the film because it's so genuine,” he said. “I’m really, really looking forward to that but it'll also be special to me because I've had a long relationship with Bob Clark and we’ve kept in touch. He was a tremendous mentor to me but I loved getting to know Jean and learning more about his passions and his vision for the movie as well, so just having an opportunity to be back there will be very, very cool for me.”
The reunion was made possible through the efforts of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (SSCVA), who is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The SSCVA has proudly represented its “A Christmas Story” pride each year with a large display centered around the movie at the Indiana Welcome Center, and is excited to additionally have the cast attend its holiday party on Saturday, December 16 at the Hard Rock Casino.
Dave Uran, SSCVA president, noted people will be traveling from near and far for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He loves just how much the movie never fails to lift everyone’s spirits each holiday season, and is thrilled that feeling will soon be replicated, this time in person, in the Northwest Indiana community very soon.
“This is going to be a tremendous gift to Northwest Indiana, and it's going to be able to showcase all the beautiful attractions that happen here in Northwest Indiana,” Uran said. “The cast changes the forecast of what people might be going through in their life and provides a glimmer of hope and excitement – people can really relate to 40 years of this history because it shows every year during Christmas. I'm thankful for the cast for trusting us and for taking the time to make this happen, because it's a huge deal for Northwest Indiana.”
More information regarding the series of specific events and how to get tickets can be seen on the website here, which includes a proclamation ceremony on Saturday, December 16 at 2:30 p.m. with Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. to further cement this iconic moment of historical significance for the community, at the Indiana Welcome Center.
For more information on the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, visit its website at southshorecva.com.
