The Nutcracker is a can’t-miss holiday tradition, and there are options for every budget!
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® at Oregon Ballet Theatre

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® at Oregon Ballet Theatre is iconic and definitely splurge-worthy. Tickets start at $29. If your heart is set on this best-of-the-best experience, but the cost of tickets feels out of reach, OBT offers ticket specials you may be eligible for.
Classical Ballet Academy

Classical Ballet Academy offers a delightful version of this ballet, performed by students in their pre-professional division. See select scenes for FREE at The Portland Night Market on December 2, during their Nutcracker Vignettes performance, and knock out some holiday shopping while you’re there.
CBA is also performing at Sellwood Community House’s Nutcracker Tea Party on December 3, where you and your children can snack on treats and enjoy scenes from The Nutcracker. Tickets are $35-$40, and proceeds benefit preschool and senior programming.
Or see CBA’s full-length version of The Nutcracker, priced $15-$25. They also offer student performances by their youngest dancers, The Children’s Nutcracker and The Nutcracker Sweet Suite, both intended for families of the dancers, but they could also be a delightful first experience for your preschooler.
Northwest Dance Theatre’s A Nutcracker Tea

Northwest Dance Theatre’s family-friendly abridged version of The Nutcracker ends with complimentary tea and cookies, the perfect way to end a trip to the Land of Sweets, in our opinion. Tickets are $18-35.
Nutcracker at Home

Holiday budgets too tight for tickets this year? We get it! Snuggle up on the couch and watch the talented dancers of the New York City Ballet on Youtube. No one should miss out on The Nutcracker® for lack of entertainment dollars.
Bonus Options
We love our social community on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok! Thanks to their crowd-sourcing, we learned about four more fun Nutcracker events you won’t want to miss:
- Oregon International Ballet Academy presents The Nutcracker at The Reser
- A Nutcracker Tea by June Taylor’s School of Dance in Tualatin
- “Nutcracker Cracked” at Portland Puppet Museum
- Inspire Dance Centre in Gresham’s An Evening with The Nutcracker
- Sultanov Ballet Nutcracker
- Columbia Dance Fort Vancouver Inspired Nutcracker
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- Portland Kindie Artist Spotlight: Olive & Dingo - May 18, 2023