Attention Holiday Shoppers! So, you’ve begun this week with the Holiday Card and now it’s time to keep that shopping for the holidays momentum going! Starting next week you can check out the more than 300 national and international vendors from outside of Houston or intowners that may not have a regular storefront for you to go and shop. You know those unique little folks that come from miles away just to capture the Houston shopping mavens that have made this 31-year Nutcracker Market an every-year success that not only is a shopper’s must but also raises so much money for the Houston Ballet. Last year was a record breaker, raising over $15 MM with over $3 MM going directly towards the Houston Ballet Foundation and it’s Scholarships for our dancers of tomorrow!
They will all be gathered at Reliant Center starting next Thursday, 11/10 through Sunday, 11/13 so please prepare. If you are a rookie you can be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place and the number of great shopping opportunities that await you. Advice from a veteran, put on your comfy shoes, make your holiday lists, complete with sizes, colors, etc., get on your mark and be ready to shop till you drop. It is shopping like no other, just about every category you could want or need under one roof.
There are lots of festivities guaranteed to enhance your shopping experience, including a special Wells Fargo Preview Party; Saks and Macy’s Runway Fashion Shows and special Priority Shopping Passes. For more details on tickets for any of this contact Patsy Chapman, who has overseen the growth of this spectacular event for the last two decades and should be commended for her dedication to the Houston Ballet. Her contact info is pchapman@houstonballet.org or go to www.nutcrackermarket.com for general information, ticket prices, times, etc.
On a Personal Note: If you are a regular to the Nutcracker Market each year then you know about the Donne Di Domani ladies (shown above) that have sold their exclusive Marinara Sauce only at the Nutcracker Market each year. This Italian-American group of women, of which I am proud to be a member have produced this sauce for over 25 years and been a sell-out each year. This year, we have responded to our customer requests and are launching our first ever cookbook, chocked full of personal recipes, using our marinara sauce, called La Cucina Delle Donne and will be available for sale at the Market. Jars of our sauce sell for $10 each and the Cookbooks for $20. Buy a pair, it makes a great holiday gift and trust me, people will be so grateful to you, as everyone knows this can only be purchased once a year, only at Nutcracker and is a very special gift. If you’ve never tried it, come see us, you can’t miss us…we are the Rock Stars of the Market. (spoken very humbly of course, but it’s true!)