Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - At first, it was acting out and recreating a Buffalo Bills tailgating scene in Orchard Park. Months later, it was getting the chance to experience it for real.
During a special visit to Western New York on Sunday, cast members in the Hallmark movie "Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story" got the chance to join members of "Bills Mafia" and partake in the great tradition that is tailgating ahead of Buffalo's season opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
For Holland Roden, Matthew Daddario and longtime Bills fan Andrew Walker, not only was this their first true experience with the Bills tailgate scene, it was also their first opportunity to take in a football game at the stadium in Orchard Park.
"These are one of those tailgating atmospheres that it's a one of a kind situation, so I'm just excited to actually see it in real life and experience it as well," said Walker on Sunday. "[As we were] driving in, we saw the filing cabinet, the grill, we haven't seen the table-jumping yet. The bowling ball we're about to walk into, but it's all these fairy tales, these wise tales."
One of the first things that stood out to Daddario as he made his way to the stadium on Sunday was "Bills Mafia's" dedication to the craft, and the coordination for many with their outfits.
"Everybody's on the same page. I don't know who sent out the memo, what happened, but the culture is strong enough that everybody is dressed up to the nines. It's wild," said Daddario. "And some of these get ups are pretty crazy, and frankly, I think it adds to the atmosphere and gets everyone, everyone riled up, which is what I want."
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Roden is hopeful they did Buffalo justice by creating a love letter to the Bills and Western New York. She can feel the warmth the city and the region carries, making it a one of a kind atmosphere.
"You can see why they're the No. 1 fandom in the NFL," Roden said on Sunday.
"Anytime we get to come back to Buffalo, because I'm from the West coast, it's like a version of coming home. And I've never had a place where I've shot become home that quickly. I don't know if it's the fact you guys have no traffic, which I am obsessed with. You aced the cortados, I'm obsessed with cortado coffee, that is my drink. I've never had that many places just perfect the cortado. Or if it's the fact that you guys have Italian food, it all feels just like a big hug in Buffalo. So I'm always excited to come back."
As for Walker, the longtime staple of Hallmark movies grew up a Bills fan in Montreal, Quebec, and was eager to get the chance to appear in a movie centered around his favorite football team.
"I put a phone call in to the head of programming, and I was like, 'Listen, I know I probably can't be the lead of this movie, but if I can just have a small part and just experience it, that would be really, really special.' And she's like, 'Andrew, you don't make these phone calls that often, so maybe we'll make something happen for you.' And here I am with these folks," Walker noted.
While Walker is only set to appear as a cameo in the holiday feature, he could not believe his first taste of Western New York when he arrived to do his one day of filming for the movie.
"My scene was at Bar Bill, but just to experience the fandom and all those people at the bar were legit fans," Walker said. "And the bartender that I was working with, that I was doing the small cameo with, he'd been working there for 30 years, and he knew everybody. He was showing me Josh Allen's glass on the wall, he was showing me all the players. And I never even knew they did this, but he was like, 'Josh comes in here on a random Tuesday night, he has wings. His favorite wings are the Cajun Honey Barbecue, and he just hangs out with the community.' When you think of the Buffalo Bills, that's what you hope from the players. They're kind of an extension of the fan base here."
This special visit from Roden, Daddario and Walker was also a chance to further promote "Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story", which is set to release on Saturday, Nov. 22 as part of Hallmark's annual Countdown to Christmas.
Check out the latest preview of the movie released on Sunday, as well as photos from their visit below:
