Giving Season

Houston's Best Holiday Markets for Gift-Giving

Houston’s holiday markets serve up local makers, festive bites, Santa sightings, and unexpected finds for every name on your list.

12/03/2025 By Erica Cheng and Houstonia Staff

Jingle Bells

The 2022 Nutcracker Market Will Introduce 50 New Shops to NRG

The annual event taking place at the NRG Center boasts 270 vendors this year.

10/27/2022 By Shelby Stewart

Watch Parties

Things To Do In Houston This Week, March 21

New restaurants, store opening, and the start of March Madness.

03/21/2022 By Shelby Stewart

Christmas is near

The Nutcracker Market Is Re-Doing Its 40th Year Anniversary Celebration

This November, The Nutcracker Market returns to NRG Center to bring in Houston’s holiday season and celebrate in-person after last year's milestone was short lived.

08/16/2021 By Shivani Parmar

Let’s go to the mall … uh ... NRG

Peep into What’s Awaiting at the Spring Nutcracker Market

We got a sneak peek at the merchants coming to this year’s shopping spree.

04/09/2021 By Catherine Wendlandt

Market Watch

The Spring Nutcracker Market Is Coming Back to NRG

After a year of cancelled and virtual events, the Houston Ballet’s annual shopping spree is returning in person this April.

03/02/2021 By Catherine Wendlandt

Holiday shopping

12 Cool Gifts at This Year's Nutcracker Market

These are a few of our favorite things.

11/20/2020 By Catherine Wendlandt

Better than Christmas

Your Guide to the 2020 Virtual Nutcracker Market

How to navigate your monthlong shopping spree (and, yes, there're new vendors).

10/28/2020 By Catherine Wendlandt

Shop ‘til you drop … on the couch

The Nutcracker Market Moves Online This November

You’ll have a whole month to get your holiday shopping done, though.

09/16/2020 By Catherine Wendlandt

Let's Shop!

Houston Ballet's Spring Nutcracker Market Is Now Open Online

Cool news: 100 percent of proceeds will support the vendors.

03/26/2020 By Gwendolyn Knapp

Hold Onto Your Walnuts

Here's How Y'all Sleighed Slayed the Nutcracker Market This Year

Merchandise sales from more than 107,000 shoppers exceeded $20.4 million at this year's 39th annual holiday shopping bonanza.

12/09/2019 By Josh Davis

It's-the-Most-Wonderful-Time-of-the-Year Edition

5 Things You Must Do This Weekend, Nov. 15–17

From holiday plays to food truck festivals, it's all happening.

11/15/2019 By Holly Beretto

Very Merry

The To-Doux List: Nov. 14-17

This weekend brings four-legged fashion, Beyoncé dance class, and—brace yourselves—the return of the Nutcracker Market.

11/14/2019 By Abby Ledoux

Holly, Jolly Houston

Deck Your Christmas Calendar With These Events

Get your dose of holiday culture.

10/28/2019 By Morgan Kinney

Double the Fun

Coming This Spring: Another Nutcracker Market

The Spring Spectacular will bring more than 150 merchants to NRG Center from April 12-14.

02/15/2019 By Kirsten Keller

Fa La La La La

This Year's Nutcracker Market in Numbers and Photos

The holiday shopping extravaganza saw record attendance in its 38th year.

12/14/2018 By Abby Ledoux

If You Wanna Go and Take a Ride With Me

Lyft Wants to Help You Get to the Nutcracker Market

Because you know parking is going to be straight-up miserable.

11/07/2018 By Abby Ledoux

Ice House

How to Survive the Houston Ballet's Annual Nutcracker Market

With more than 100,000 shoppers expected to descend, drinking an estimated 14,000 mimosas while they peruse the 300 vendors spread over 540,000 square feet, the market gets downright crazy.

10/22/2018 By Gwendolyn Knapp

'tis the season

5 Things You Must Do This Weekend, Nov. 10–12

Must-see films invade Houston, the holidays arrive, and Peppa Pig makes the jump to the 3-D realm.

11/09/2017 By Morgan Kinney

Holiday 2015

What's New at Nutcracker Market

Don't get stuck on shopping autopilot—we found six new-to-Nutcracker booths you don't want to miss.

11/12/2015 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen