BOERNE, Texas - As Fall approaches, Christmas can come early for one Central Texas city.

What we know: Boerne, Texas, just northeast of San Antonio, is the lone Texas town among 25 finalists nationwide competing to be named Hallmark Channel's 2026 Merriest Christmas Town, a designation that could bring more than holiday bragging rights.

The contest's winning community will have the opportunity to serve as a filming location for a Hallmark movie.