Reruns of the classic movie “A Christmas Story” usually can be caught several times on television during the holidays.
One Seymour couple, however, got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day reliving movie memories in the house where much of the film was shot.
Lonny and Angela Kincaid, both 43, spent two days in the original Christmas Story House in Cleveland and had a chance to participate in activities themed around the film’s plot.
“A Christmas Story” is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film about a 9-year-old boy named, Ralphie, who wants nothing more for Christmas than a Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot bb gun.
The house in the movie used by Ralphie and his family is open year-round for public tours.
The Kincaids, married for more than four years, offered the winning bid of $5,800 in an online auction for the opportunity to stay all night at the house on Christmas Eve.
Proceeds raised by the auction go toward A Christmas Story House Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to restore and maintain the historical neighborhood surrounding the iconic home. It also provides grants to qualified residents for home restoration projects.
The Kincaids initially were outbid, but the bidder decided not to go, and the Kincaids didn’t pass up the opportunity.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Angela Kincaid said.
The couple also received a night at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, which is where the movie’s cast stayed during filming and about $800 in gifts from A Christmas Story Gift Shop. The gifts included A Major Award Leg Lamp, four tickets to Winter Waterland at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, dinner at the Horseshoe Casino, snow globes and holiday ornaments.
Angela Kincaid said the couple’s decision to bid on the auction came after they had visited Cleveland last year and toured the house.
She said the movie is one of their favorite holiday films to watch.
“My husband, he’s a fan,” she said. “We watch it every year at Christmastime.”
Her favorite part of the movie is when Ralphie’s mouth was cleaned out with soap by his mother after he said a bad word. Her husband’s favorite is when Ralphie’s dad receives a wooden crate. The word “fragile” is stenciled on it, and Ralphie’s dad mistakenly yet excitedly thinks it’s a gift from Italy.
Angela Kincaid said the house is set up quite similar to what’s seen in the movie.
So similar, the couple were actually offered the chance to sleep in the beds of either Ralphie or his brother Randy. They opted to sleep in a different bed.
They also could relive some of the scenes, including when Randy crawled under the kitchen sink to hide.
Ironically, the couple spent some of their Christmas day at the home watching “A Christmas Story.”
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Information on visiting the house in Cleveland where “A Christmas Story” was filmed and how to bid on a night’s stay there is available at achristmasstoryhouse.com/
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