Fan-favorite small-town shows like Virgin River, The Way Home and One Tree Hill are joining forces for a first-ever experience.

As Virgin River fans patiently await season 8, there’s something else they can look forward to. 

Ben Hollingsworth, who plays Dan Brady on the hit Netflix drama, took to Instagram for a first-ever announcement that delighted fans. 

“Virgin River fans, I know you’re excited. You want to know: is Brady coming back for season 8? You want to know when season 8’s coming out? You want to know if there’s going to be a season 9. Well…” he begins, before a censored sticker covers his mouth and a bleep-out noise cuts off any sliver of news he was going to share. 

“I’m just joking, I can’t tell you any of that,” he admits, before revealing something equally as exciting for the fandom. 

“What I can tell you is that for the first time ever, me and a bunch of my Virgin River cast mates are going to be doing a convention.”

And it’s not just any convention, as he clarifies that it isn’t like “one of those mall ones,” adding that this one is “tailored just for shows like ours.”

By that, he meets small town shows, which have carved out a place for themselves in the TV landscape. 

“It’s called Meet Cute con and the theme is small town television,” he added, noting, “that’s basically Virgin River.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Benjamin Hollingsworth (@hollingsworthb)

The excitement continues as Hollingsworth reveals it’s taking place in Nashville at the Loveless Barn, with Virgin Hotels Nashville fittingly serving as a sponsor. 

It will kick off with a rooftop party and run from Nov. 6th through 8th. 

People reports it will include “celebrity panels, live music, interactive experiences, and Southern food for an intimate fan experience.”

But it’s not just Virgin River! 

Other small town hows included in Meet Cute Con include One Tree Hill and The Way Home.

The confirmed guest list for Small-Town Swoon is as follows: One Tree Hill alum Jana Kramer, The Way Home‘s Evan Williams, and Virgin River stars Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Hollingsworth and Zibby Allen.

Additional celebrities from small town shows will be announced in the coming weeks. 

In the meantime, if you want to be part of the first-ever meet up, you can grab tickets here.

Virgin River has established itself as one of Netflix’s best—and longest-running shows.

So it’s no surprise that fans are patiently waiting for the premiere date of the upcoming seventh season.

The comfort of a small town, even one that has its fair share of trouble and drama, is something we all yearn for and crave. 

Thankfully, Benjamin Hollingsworth, who plays Brady on the hit series, recently gave fans some insight into when they can expect new episodes. 

We’ve only been waiting since last December!

When Will Virgin River Return for Season 7?

Virgin River Season 7 will not be making a holiday appearance this year, but its return isn’t too far off, according to Hollingsworth. 

While chatting with FOX5 in New York, he revealed the premiere month, stating that it would begin streaming on Netflix in March 2026.

There’s no specific premiere date, as of yet, but as soon as we find out, we’ll let you know! 

What Changes Are Coming to ‘Virgin River’ Season 7?

The series has to keep things fresh, so fans can expect some new faces to make their way into town, including The Vampire Diaries alum Sara Canning, who will join as ex-cop Victoria, previously shot in the line of duty and now working for the state medical board as an investigator. What brings her to town, you ask? Well, she’s here looking into Doc’s practice, but she runs into a friend she doesn’t mind catching up with, with the synopsis teasing, “or maybe even pursuing something more.”

Virgin River has a way of convincing people who are just visiting to stay for a while…

The second new face will be Riverdale’s Cody Kearsley, starring as “tough” and “athletic” Clay, described as the type of guy to “immediately” get noticed when he enters a room. He has experience in the “rodeo circuit” and grew up in foster care with his younger sister, whom he hasn’t seen since they were teens and who he’s been looking for ever since.

Will There Be a Season 8 of Virgin River?

You betcha! People can’t get enough of Virgin River, with the series scoring an early renewal, with Deadline reporting that the eighth season was confirmed a few days after season 7 wrapped up production.

And that can only mean one thing—there’s still plenty more stories to tell when it concerns Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), Jack (Martin Henderson), Vernon (Tim Matheson), Brady, Brie (Zibby Allen) and more. 

Lark (Elise Gatien) made her debut on Virgin River Season 5, specifically, during the episodes that tackled the wildfires that ravaged parts of the picturesque town. 

Warning – this post has spoilers from the Virgin River holiday episodes. 

After Jack and Brady risked their lives to save Lark’s daughter, Hazel, who went missing from the campsite during the fire evacuation, the single mom began to bond with the latter, extending her gratitude to him for going out of his way to prioritize her daughter’s safety. 

When Brady found out that Lark and Hazel were squatting, he offered them up a place in one of the lumber yard trailers, a selfless gesture that speaks to his big heart. 

Lark definitely set her sights on Brady, especially on the heels of his generosity, and a connection sparked around the time that Brady’s relationship with Brie crumbled and he was looking for some companionship. Lark also helped Brady see the better parts of himself, as Brie held his lies (even though he couldn’t tell her anything about being an informant) against him and made him feel guilty. 

One thing led to another and eventually, Lark and Brady began a relationship after his romance with Brie ended. It was also helpful that Hazel really took to Brady, and thus, he became a bit of a stepfather figure in her life.

Fast forward a few months to the timeline of the holiday episodes, Brady and Lark are going strong, fully embracing their romance and sweet little family together. Lark even invited Brady to meet her mother, though he claims that’s a little too fast-paced for him, which is understandable considering he still harbors strong feelings for Brie, who has currently moved on with Mike. 

However, Brady seems to be in a good place in life, particularly as everything with Melissa Montgomery’s money laundering/drug smuggling at Emerald Lumber has finally settled down. He’s finally able to move past the nightmare that started when he was roped in by Calvin when he was young and reckless, or so fans thought. In retrospect, I guess we should’ve been more suspicious of Lark’s attempts at inserting herself into Brady’s life, though she definitely made it seem so natural. 

In the final moments of Virgin River Season 6 Episode 12, Lark sneaks off to pick up a call from Hazel’s father, who turns out to be Jimmy, who is serving time in prison. Lark informs him that “Brady doesn’t suspect a thing,” which shows that this is Jimmy’s form of getting close enough to Brady to get revenge. 

It’s an awful and disappointing twist considering all the progress Brady has made to turn over a new leaf and hit refresh. He can’t seem to shake this whole Emerald Lumber fiasco, no matter how hard he tries. Bad luck just seems to follow him based on one bad decision he made way back when—and it’s cost him so much, including his friendships and his romance with Brie. 

I’m hoping that Lark realizes just how good of a guy Brady is and how much he’s sacrificed for her and Hazel and decides not to go through with whatever she and Jimmy have planned.

Lord knows that Brady deserves some sliver of good news and positivity in his life, along with a storyline far removed from the lumber yard.