The Nutcracker Festival Christmas Market

The Nutcracker Ballet, a beloved Christmas tradition, has deep roots in Historic Downtown Brigham City. It began in 1903, when Christian and Peter Christensen constructed the Box Elder Academy of Music and Dancing, where Willam, Harold, & Lew Christensen learned to dance. This trio of brothers was a tour-de-force in the world of dance and transformed dancing in the American West. They influenced the development of three renowned ballet companies – Portland Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Ballet West.

On Christmas Eve, 1944, Willam Christensen directed the first full-length production of The Nutcracker in America, at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House. It was an instant sensation and launched the Nutcracker Ballet as a national holiday tradition!

Experience the magical Nutcracker where it all began, at the Box Elder Academy of Music and Dancing, now restored as Academy Square in downtown Brigham City. Enjoy our Christmas Market, featuring a wonderful collection of local vendors and watched over by a large collection of Nutcrackers. Then take in The Nutcracker Ballet at nearby Box Elder High School, performed by Classical Youth Ballet and directed by Michelle Jackman who studied under the late Willam Christensen.