Photo: Courtesy of Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market
There’s a reason why the Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker Market serves as Houston’s holiday season kickoff. What began in 1981 as a humble church bazaar has blossomed into a four-day shopping bonanza in the tradition of a European or Latin American street market, with more than 270 unique merchants offering items from gourmet food and home decor to apparel, toys, accessories, and more. The market expects to welcome more than 100,000 guests through its doors Nov. 14-17. Last year, attendees spent a whopping $20 million on gifts at this one-stop shopping event and signature holiday fundraiser. All proceeds from each admission purchased, as well as 11 percent of market purchases, go directly to the Houston Ballet Foundation, which brings arts education to Houston-area students and awards scholarships to students pursuing their dream of studying ballet.
More info: houstonballet.org/about/ nutcracker-market
