Nashville’s Nutcracker Tea Provides Festive Fun for All Ages

As always, Nashville’s Nutcracker Tea overflowed with cookies, dancers and festive fun for the whole family. The beloved annual fundraiser supports Nashville Ballet’s masterful programming — and gives children the opportunity to roam a land where sweets and costumed ballerinas abound.

This year, Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts boasted a lengthy line out the door, with kids, parents and grandparents alike donning their best seasonal looks. Co-chairs Ashley Herring, Kayla Clayborne Counts and Blair Steakley Lund circulated the room and greeted guests upon arrival, alongside Nashville Ballet’s leadership team. 

Children excitedly lined up for photo ops with characters from Nashville Ballet productions. Many also grabbed treats from elegantly decorated tables covered in red and green sugar cookies and delicate macarons. True to form, the event offered activities galore, including a pointe-shoe-decorating station, coloring pages, face painting and holiday-themed balloon art. 

The pinnacle of this Sunday afternoon occurred when cast members of Nashville’s Nutcracker performed a condensed version of the upcoming production, beginning with Clara receiving a nutcracker at her family’s holiday party and ending with a grand finale — “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” Guests of all ages gathered around in wonder, eagerly catching glimpses of the spectacle, which teased what would take center stage at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center later that month. 

For just launching in 2023, Nashville’s Nutcracker Tea garnered yet another impressive turnout — and has already cemented itself as an annual family-friendly holiday staple.