Snow in downtown Santa Paula? Filming for winter commercial ices block around Main Street

An American Express holiday commercial filmed in Santa Paula shuttered parts of downtown for two days this week and brought faux snow to Main Street.

Banners and artificial snow were on display Tuesday, said John Marquez, executive director of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce and film liaison.

"It's Christmas," he said of the shoot for the New York-headquartered credit card company. "It's the holiday shopping season; that's what they're promoting."

Filming Tuesday closed portions of Mill and Davis streets from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and a part of Mill from Main Street to the alleyway. Preparation for the shoot on Monday shut a smaller portion of the area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Filming concluded Tuesday night and streets reopened Wednesday, said Jonathan Royas, deputy city manager.

The actors seen shopping around downtown were extras, Marquez said. There were no celebrities on hand.

Businesses on Main Street were used for exterior and interior shots, he said. They included E & D Boutique, Los Compadres Fashions, Gather and Play Cafe and Handmade Tattoo.

While one block of downtown was closed, everything else remained open.

"Film companies encourage people to shop even though they're filming," he said. "They're very courteous about letting people go through."

Marquez said he expected the commercial to be released sometime in November for the holiday season.

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com , 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes .

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Snow in downtown Santa Paula? Filming for winter commercial ices block around Main Street