Nutcracker Market

This is by second year coming to the Nutcracker Market, and I’m honestly surprised that there is such a low star-​rating for this event. If you aren’t from the Houston area, the Nutcracker Market is an annual 4-​day specticle that includes lots and lots of Christmas decorations, womens’ and childrens’ clothing items, and booze for sale. Throw in literally thousands of women who attend (and some being so hard-​core they set up tailgates in the morning and drink before the doors open at 10am) and all the neat things to see, eat, and buy, it’s well-​worth the visit at least once.
Be warned that the lines are LONG. If you get there before the doors open, you have the option of tailgating in the parking lot or standing in a line that seems longer than you imagine is possible. I’ve always been lucky and get my tickets through work, which means that I get early entrance at 9am. As of this year you can buy passes with the early entrance for $ 50, so if that extra hour is that important to you it’s something to keep in mind. Once the floodgates *ahem* doors open, the women flow in and it gets crowded quick. Come ready with comfy shoes for walking and an easy-​to-​carry/​lug reusable tote to make sure your back and shoulders stay in good shape. They don’t allow strollers or rolling carts (because the sheer number of people attending fill the aisles as it is), so please leave your kiddies at home. This is NOT the place for small hands and bodies to get squished and trampled.
The wares being sold are really hit or miss. 2014 had a lot of great items available, at decent prices. 2015 seemed to be lacking more so in the Christmas decorations department, but the food options were amazing. Almost every place has samples, so stop by and try a few things to find something new and unique to buy (the cherry BBQ sauce was surprisngly delicious!).
Lots of women come in gaggles, with matching shirts and headbands, but you can definitely come alone as well. Bring your credit card, cash, and stamina and see what treasures you can find this year!

I just wanted to post my review because there are so many misconceptions out there. Bottom line is, if you like Christmas, shopping, supporting small businesses, ballet, and donating to scholarship programs, then you will enjoy it! If you don’t like shopping, and I mean, power shopping, then skip it. Seriously, skip it so your ba humbug mood doesn’t interfere with our fun! There is a certain type of person that enjoys walking for miles to find new items, great deals, and taking in the atmosphere. Even beating the ‘shopping pushers’ can be a sport. They have stuff for guys too and my daughter, who is 6, has been going for years. She inherited the ‘shopping gene’ from my Mother. She gets tired of course, but powers through fueled by holiday cheer and the promise of a visit to the booth that sells American Girl clothes. You know your children so decide accordingly.
The parking and food prices are expected with any event at NRG so I don’t know why that surprises anyone. You also have to remember that a portion of everything you buy goes to the Houston Ballet Foundation.
Tips:
–I don’t know why I have to say this but obviously wear comfortable shoes.
–Go to the Preview Party if you can to get a head start and go on the last day to find deals on items before the vendors pack up. Everyone is tired and no one wants to pack up stuff so the more they sell the less items to clear. We have found great deals on Sunday.
–If you are only going one day then plan ahead with a wishlist so you can use the program to target the booths you should visit. 300 vendors can be overwhelming plus the crowds. You may want to buy small items first so you don’t have to carry large items throughout the day. There is the option to check in your purchases for pick up when you are finished but that is a long line and another fee.
–The food is the usual Aramark fare and prices, again no surprise if you go to HLSR or other NRG events. Eat beforehand and bring bottled water if you want to save money. May I suggest Goode Company BBQ which is about 3 miles away from NRG Park.
Oh, and there will be a point where sitting on the dirty floor doesn’t phase you. If you are a pro shopper, this shouldn’t be an issue because you are used to braving the elements for unique finds at antique festivals (Round Top Antique Weekend, Canton First Mondays, etc)
Can you find handcrafted jewelry, smoked meats, Christmas ornaments, pajamas and butcher blocks somewhere else for cheaper? Yes, but 300 vendors all in one place with holiday choir and the warm feeling you are supporting a great cause? I don’t think so and if there is, let me know so I can go too! Be sure to say hello if you see me around!

I attended this with my wife. I was impressed by the variety of different arts and crafts this place had to offer. And yes, there are items for men to enjoy as well. Some items are pricey, some are a great bargain. Will visit again.

This year was my first time going and I dragged my husband along. It’s $ 10 to park but there is a shuttle that will make the walk a little shorter. Tickets are $ 16 or $ 15 if bought at Randall’s. It’s huge and packed with tons of Christmas décor, clothes, jewelry, food, etc. We found lots of things for the house and there were things I already want to go back and get next year. We didn’t go down every aisle but did get about 3 hours of shopping in. Fun time and there are some good deals out there and unique things you can’t find at a regular store.

I have been going to the Nutcracker Market for 17 years, even including years when I lived in Indiana. This year, it’s missing something. Maybe it’s missing the ubiquitous Leibman’s Foods, which has been there (I think) as many years as I’ve been going, but this year was nowhere to be found. It could be the kids’ choirs, as all I saw this year was a small adult group. But it’s missing something that made the whole experience fun and put you in the Christmas spirit, even if you knew it was a big commercial grab. (For me, part of the spirit-​killer could have been the woman that called my friend a beeyotch for not letting her have the chair I was going to sit in while off getting drinks.)
The theme this year must have been tropical, as everywhere you look, there were flamingoes with Santa hats. This took away from the Christmasy nature of the event — really, FLAMINGOES? Yes, Houston will never be known for its white Christmases, but the flamingoes were just cheesy, not holiday cheesy.
I still spent way too much. It was a real pleasure to see the Hanson Gallery folks there, even though they haven’t had a store for some time. Just… not as good this year.

I read the reviews, heard that some folks were tailgating for opening day and that this was the biggest day for teachers to take off work so I prepared myself and friends for a very chaotic shopping experience. It didn’t turn out so bad. What I wasn’t expecting was there were WAY TOO MANY BOOTHS to cover in one day. Three miles over the course of six hours and still didn’t get to see every shop… (I know because I wore my handy dandy pedometer). Next time, I’ll need to get a hold of the shop layout in advance and map out my plan of attack. We attempted to cover each aisle and halfway through, I had to go into fast forward mode. Good thing they conveniently scattered some bars around because I was able to numb some of my throbbing feet pain away with some delicious but pricey Bloody Marys!
There were so many interesting items for sale, some I bought and some inspired me to file away as a DIY project. All the dips, soups, cheese spread stations were a big hit and I came home with some great finds like the Lemonhead headbands and Wine-​a-​Rita mixes.
So, not as crazy as I imagined and I was able to get a head start on my holiday shopping, so that is always great for a procrastinator like myself!

My coworker and I were feeling whimsical at the end of a long day so we decided to check out the nutcracker market. Oh my, I’ve lived in Houston a little over a year and I have never felt more «Texan»… We fought our way through suburbanites, soccer moms, and teenagers to catch a glimpse of knock-​off jewelry, and embellished cowboy boots.
I was beginning to wonder, why any sane person would put themselves through this? After all, it was essentially an Americanized Grand Bazaar (although slightly less organized). These thoughts vanished when we came across our first booth handing out samples. This booth had multiple flavors of spicy jams, chutney, and honey. My friend and I had a new mission; to try out every sample before the market closed!
We made it through every aisle in a little over two hours, and in that time we tried toffees, bundt cakes, soups, dips and cheeseballs. It was fantastic! The vendors were all so friendly and willing to share how they got started.
We also ventured in to several craft and holiday décor booths. There are some very talented and creative merchants at the market. This was probably the most impressive part for someone like me, I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, and my flat looks like it was decorated by a teenage boy.
I would definitely add the Nutcracker Market to the Houston holiday «must try» list. It was an experience to say the least!

The best time to go was definitely after work — there is a discount for the last two hours before close. At this time, my friend and I were able to secure an easy parking spot near the front entrance (factor in an additional $ 10 for parking, and several dollars if you luxuriously hail a pedicab). Entering the front door, we followed a gaggle of Steve Madden-​boot-​bearing, chunky sweater clad girls. As we soon realized, this outfit is the unofficial uniform of the clearly female suburban target clientele. Also indicative: the men’s lavatories had been strategically converted into washrooms for the ladies.
Processed through the front gates of this well-​oiled Christmachine, we gawped at the all the shiny green, red and riot inside. Prepare well for this event: leave your giant purse-​bludgeon at home lest you knock out a shorter reveler. Come hungry, because you will feast like Marie Antoinette on toffees, bits of cake, and more samples than you could possibly imagine could be transported to your holiday pie-​hole on a pretzel stick.
And definitely some Hand Sanitizer and Emergen-​C because 96% of the samples have been abused by double dip deviants, and you probably are in line directly after them.
Start with a glass of Franzia’s Best Anxiety Relaxant at the bar-​tables, proceed with an organized aisle-​weaving game plan, and end with a bag full of items you barely recall purchasing. And enjoy the sensory overstimulation throughout.

My sister and I decided to check out the Nutcracker Market on Sunday, November 11, 2012 because I wanted to see what all the hype was! We were busy participating in a local craft fair the day before selling our own handmade goods and was excited to see what this grand event offered. We paid $ 10 to park, another $ 13 each at the door and then headed to the back and worked our way to the front. I bought my daughter a 1^st Christmas ornament, 1^st birthday outfit, a smoked meat package and my sister bought wrapping paper and olives. This took us 3.5 hours while fighting the crowds.
Overall, I thought there would be more unique, hand-​crafted items like I see at our local craft fairs. Instead, it was a lot of store bought stuff and purses and jewelry that I could find on Harwin. There were quite a few places to buy holiday décor but I usually buy my stuff at the after Christmas sale instead of full price. If I really want to buy something again, I would just go online and purchase from the vendor since shipping is way cheaper than paying parking and entrance. Kind of a disappointment… ladies even tailgate for this? Maybe I’m missing something.

I went with plenty of cash, ready to take care of some serious Christmas shopping. The only cash I spent was to park the car and get into the event itself. Tacky, incredibly overpriced items were the only thing to see here. The second star is only for the fact that the event was fairly well organized– a tram from distant parking to the building and shopping bags were handed out.

«It’s the most wonderful time of the year…»
First off, this event is not for kids. I took my at the time 6 year old with me last year and he wanted nothing to do with me after the first hour. And honestly, kids take up a lot of room in the already insanely crowded aisles. So leave the kiddos at home with Dad, grandmother, whoever and have a nice day out with the girls!
Nutcracker Market is perfect for Christmas décor shopping as well as buying really cute gifts! Nothing bets getting your Christmas shopping done (or almost done) before December! I probably could have spent more last year but I was seriously overwhelmed the first 30 minutes that I froze. Towards the end though, I picked up speed and made some great purchases.
If you have ever been shopping in Reliant Center during the Houston Rodeo, it is set up almost like that… except without the smell of fresh manure in the air. There are so many vendors that your options are endless!
It’s a weekend in Houston that I look forward to!

Went again to the Market this year– although 9 months pregnant made for quite a different experience than my previous one. If you can’t do it all, here are some of my favorite vendors from this past market to hit up before you head out…
— Royers Round Top Café
— The Round Top Collection
— Big Little Fudge
— Pony Pets
— The Brookwood Community
— China Baroque
— Company’s Comin’/Easy As Pie
— Hendley Market
— Imaginations Unlimited
— It’s a Girl Thing
— Leibman’s Wine and Fine Gifts
–The Painted Door
— Pomegranate Moon
— Room Service for Kids
— Souther Candymakers
— Susie’s South Forty Confections, Inc (!!!)
— Two Chick Blvd

I’m writing this from a different perspective than the other reviewers — I worked for a vendor…
It was realllllllllly well organized! Though this is my first year there (and my second visit to Houston ever) all of the Junior League women were very excited and supportive. Most importantly the support staff were to DIE for. Those were some looooooooong days and every time — from the security guards to the bathroom attendents to the janitorial staff — they were always SMILING and happy to help you in absolutely any way they could. I know I asked the same questions as everyone else did but they never made me feel like it was the 198 2838^th time they’d heard that question. Hats off to them!

Christmas, thine consumerism is divine! The only thing to earn five stars would have been a bar on every row and better parking. I went three times, dropped entirely too much money, but when you hunt well and often you can find great deals on one-​of-​a-​kind ornaments and decorative items to rival your friends.
Looking for an expensive, Russian made ornament that is limited in number and costs $ 600 — you got that. You want shotgun shell Christmas lights for your tree? They got that for only $ 14 at one vendor. So no matter your tastes you will find what you love — from foodstuffs to tree decorations to those gaudy big lawn decorations — all at the Nutcracker Market at Reliant Arena.
Portions of all sales benefit the Houston Ballet, so while you spend the dough, you are helping out the arts. I picked up another two dozen ornaments, some from around the world, some made right here in Texas, along with expanding my nutcracker collection and getting in the Christmas spirit.
Three day passes are available, and like a moron I did not buy one, but every trip I found more that I liked. After years of shopping the Nutcracker Market, I have found the best thing to do is go on opening night, then the next night, then on the last day as it winds down for the super bargains (one vendor had everything off at 75%).
Get your Christmas Spirit on every year two weeks before Turkey Day at the Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker Market!

I ventured over to South Houston for a little pre-​Holiday shopping event called the Nutcracker Market.
I almost turned around when I saw the packed Reliant parking lot and the $ 8 parking fee. But I had ventured to South Houston, so onward I went.
As I walked away from my car and looked on the horizon, past a sea of teachers and moms, I found that I had parked in the lost most distant from the main entrance. But I had ventured to South Houston, so onward I went.
The business casual pumps I wore began to dig into my feet and I hadn’t even reached the ticket counter (Entrance fee: $ 10 with coupon). I entered into the main hall and was greeted by an overwhelming desire to bolt. So many women in bedazzled denim jackets, faux-​fur vests, bleached hair, and thick Southern accents.. . all gasping over beaded jewelry and monogrammed beer koozies. But I had ventured to South Houston and paid $ 18, so onward I went.
Bolting through every isle looking for something unique, I finally found it. A gathering of dead-​eyed men holding fistfuls of packages in the food-​court. At that moment I heard my husband’s guardian angel thanking me for not inviting him.
Thankfully, someone had the sense to sell adult beverages at select mini-​bars throughout the shopping extravaganza.