The 100+ Nutcrackers who took over Fort Steuben Park on November 22^nd will be taking their leave on Monday January 9^th and will be retiring to their summer resort to plan and tweet among themselves in preparation for next year’s  ‘invasion’ which will without a doubt be exponentially larger and grander.

No one expected last year in 2015 when 37 Nutcrackers descended upon the Park that anything close to what happened was possible.   When we jested that they had ‘invaded’ the Park, we were actually being prophetic, as that seems to be exactly what has occurred.

Their popularity and success has been phenomenal.   These past 6 weeks the Nutcrackers along with the Advent Market, Hay Rides, Trolley Tours, ‘Wooden Hearts’ Nutcracker Musical, Nutcracker Christmas Parade, and Visitor Center Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop have brought so many smiles, selfies and Christmas ‘memories’ to people of the area as well as folks from quite some distance away, who traveled here specifically to experience the ‘Magic’.

And ‘Magic’ it has been!  That was the word most heard from visitors both last year and this.  A wonderful type of ‘Magic’ which brings laughter and joy to all who experience it.

Even with this year’s event winding down, plans have already begun for next year.  Plans of more Nutcrackers, of course, but in addition, also more events, decorations and surprises!

The Fort’s Visitor Center Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop will remain open through the remainder of January.  So you still have time to experience that ‘magic’ if by some chance you have missed the opportunity.

So far as the Nutcrackers, we will not be saying “Adieu” just “See you later”.    But until then ‘Stay Tuned’, and visit them at  www.steubenvillenutcrackervillage.com

The 2016 Christmas Parade “Sights & Sounds of Christmas: Nutcracker Magic”  is now a memory.  A very nice one at that. Saturday was a very, very cold day, but many floats, dance groups, organizations, schools and business, and 6 great bands joined us to bring the Christmas spirit and joy to young and old alike.

A great big THANK YOU to all the participants in the parade this year, everyone really put forth great effort to make their entry unique and special!  And ‘Thanks’ to all the folks who ‘braved’ the cold temps to come and watch the parade….we hope you had a wonderful time… we certainly did.  A special “Thanks” also to WTOV9/FOX 9 for once again broadcasting our Parade live, which makes it ‘extra’ special; and for all their other work and contributions which make this parade the success it is!

Today at noon at Fort Steuben Visitor Center the Trophies for the Parade were awarded. The Winners are:

Float Category:  1st Place – Steubenville Catholic Schools;  2nd Place – Grand Theater;  3rd Place – The Friendship Room-Center of Hope.

Walking/Dance Category:  1st Place – Main Street Dance Company;  2nd Place – Generations of Steppaz;  and 3rd Place – Brenda Casey Dance Center.

The Grand Prize winner for the Nutcracker Theme is Franciscan University of Steubenville.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE! Thank You All for your creativity, time and effort in making this a wonderful parade!

This weekend will be the last chance this year to visit the Advent Market and attend The Wooden Heart Follies, Steubenville’s Nutcracker musical.

The Advent Market will be open on Friday and Saturday, December 16^th & 17^th from 4:00pm until 9:00pm and on Sunday, December 18^th, from 1:00pm until 6:00pm.

The final presentation of The Wooden Heart Follies will take place at 2:00pm on Sunday, December 18^th at the Masonic Hall, 227 North Fourth Street.

The Nutcracker Village and Christmas Wonderland & Gift Shop will continue to be open until January 8^th, 2017.

So, if you don’t want to miss out on the great food and craft vendors, the live entertainment, free hayrides, Holly Trolley Tours, and presentation of The Wooden Heart Follies you will need to be sure to come this weekend!

Don’t be one of the few to miss out on all the fun and excitement!

For more information or questions please call:  740.283.4935.

There will be many activities on Saturday, Dec. 10, when the 2016 Nutcracker Magic Parade sponsored by Eastern Gateway Community College takes place in Steubenville.

Although the weather may be freezing when the 88-unit parade heads down 4^th Street at noon, there will be lots of places to stop and warm up and get something hot to drink along the way.

Westminster Presbyterian Church has partnered with Franciscan University to offer free hot cocoa and hot dogs at 235 N. 4^th Street; Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will have a booth set up on S. 4^th Street across from the Grand Theater giving out free hot chocolate; Plain Jane’s at 203 S. 4^th Street will be offering free hot cocoa and selling hot dogs; at the Grand Theater on S. 4^th Street there will be cookies, fudge and stocking stuffers for sale as well as raffle tickets for Christmas baskets. And a special photo opportunity with Santa will be available for a $5 donation to help restore the Grand Theater.

The Advent Market in Fort Steuben Park will open at 11am for early birds. Food vendors will be selling a variety of hot drinks, pulled pork sandwiches, bratwurst and potato pancakes, popcorn, pretzels, cobblers and apple dumplings while artisans will have their crafts and wares on sale.

The Christmas Wonderland in the Fort Steuben Visitor Center will welcome visitors to take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce among the vintage holiday displays or purchase nutcracker-themed items in the Holiday Gift Shop.

The Nutcracker Village sponsored by Trinity Health System, the glorious Christmas tree (well-lit courtesy of Husqvarna) and the glittering Nutcracker Walkway (thanks to M&M True Value) will be the place to go after the parade and into the evening. The First Federal Land Office, decorated for a 19^th century Christmas will be open and hay rides and trolley rides will tour the downtown from 5pm to 8pm.

If you have an ugly Christmas sweater, join the party at the Harmonium on Market Street at 8pm.

For more information on the parade and other local events, call 740-283-1787 or go to www.visitsteubenville.com.

If you have been downtown Steubenville on South 3^rd Street in the past week or so, you have most likely noticed all the festive decorations appearing in Fort Steuben Park and on the Fort.

Preparations are underway for this year’s Nutcracker Village/Advent Market, Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop.

There are so many additional events, displays and decorations that it would be impossible to mention them all here.  (And besides, it would spoil the surprise!)

As the big day for the arrival of this year’s 105 Nutcrackers approaches (just 14 days from now) everyone is scurrying about getting everything prepared and festive to greet them.

The lights are on the arches, some of the huge wreaths have been hung, and the decorations at the entrance of the Visitor’s Center are in place.   Construction of the new and very large impressive Christmas tree at the fountain has begun, as has the building of the Chalets which will house vendors of homemade crafts and decorations, delicious food and treats.

Work inside of the Visitor Center has also begun on the massive Christmas Wonderland displays (with much more to do) and the Gift Shop is close to being fully stocked with exciting and wonderful gifts and souvenirs sure to delight shoppers of every age.

Each day more is added in anticipation of opening night which is ‘Steubenville Lights Up the Night’ on November 22^nd, with performances by Steubenville and Catholic Central High Bands, The Casey Dancers and more, as well as free goodies. The Advent Market also opens that night and then is open each Friday, Saturday & Sunday from Thanksgiving through the weekend before Christmas, with live entertainment, hay rides, trolley tours and a few other surprises!

The Nutcracker Village, Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop runs from November 22 through January 8, 2017.

The Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10am – 4pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm and additionally the days and hours of the Advent Market.  (Closed December 24th  & 25th  and December 31st & January 1st).

The Schedule for the Advent Market is:

2016 ADVENT MARKET DATES AND TIMES

November 22 —– 4-9pm

November 25 & 26—–4-9pm

November 27—–1-6pm

December 2 & 3——4-9pm

December 4——1-6pm

December 9—–4-9pm

December 10—–Noon-9pm

December 11—–1-6pm

December 16 & 17—–4-9pm

December 18—–1-6pm

New this year for the Nutcracker Village/Advent Market is an original Nutcracker musical.

Wooden Heart Follies is a delightful production featuring the unique characters that inhabit the area’s newest holiday attraction. With an original script and lyrics based on Tchaikovsky’s famous “Nutcracker Suite,” the musical comedy includes the Mad Scientist, Patrolman Holiday, the Nutcracker Prince, Clara, Miss Adelaide, Vincenzo the Gondolier, Artopoios the baker, and Miss Nelson herself, the creator of the Steubenville Nutcrackers.

Saint Nicholas shows up as well! With an opportunity for audience participation and a share of slapstick fun, the production should become a welcome addition to family holiday traditions.

There will be performances  four Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm on November 17th, December 4th, 11th, and 18th at the Masonic Hall, 227 North Fourth Street, Steubenville. 

Tickets are $7 for adults, $4 for students and little ones under 6 years old get in free.  

Tickets can be obtained at the Steubenville Visitor Center, 120 S. 3rd Street, at the door, or online at woodenheartfollies.brownpapertickets.com.  

For more information please call:  740.283.1787 -or- 740.283.4935.

Below are some behind the scene shots of the cast and Nutcrackers hard at work getting ready for the play!

The Downtown Steubenville Farmers’ Market official end date is the last Thursday of October which is the 27th.  However, as in prior years, it is anticipated that the market will remain open at least another week or two after that.  The weather is a major determining factor and long range forecasts for early November appear to be favorable, at least for now!

Cabbages, apples, cider, peppers, green beans, pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn,pears,  jellies, preserves, baked goods, nut rolls, and so much more are all still available for purchase.

The Market is open on Thursdays from 8:00am to 1:00pm.

Be sure to stop by before the season is over and you have to wait out the winter before your next opportunity to buy fresh, buy tasty, and buy local.

The first ‘physical’ sign of the upcoming 2016 Steubenville Nutcracker Village has appeared at Fort Steuben Park today!   The  archway structure which is going to cover a walkway of Nutcrackers has arrived and the crew is hard at work assembling it.   The archway is new this year and will provide not only spotlights on each of the Nutcrackers but also be covered with festive Christmas lights.

Also new this year is a 30 foot Christmas tree to be erected over the Memorial Fountain, additional Chalets, many more Nutcrackers and many additional Christmas displays and decorations both inside the Fort Visitor Center and outside, as well as a number of additional fun and exciting events, including a giant train display, Trolley tours and some other ‘surprises’.

The Nutcracker Village as well as Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop will run from November 22^nd, 2016 through January 8^th, 2017.  The Advent Market will be open on Light-up Night, November 22^nd, and the weekends of November 25^th-27^th, December 2^nd-4^th, December 9^th-11^th, and December 16^th-18^th.

Also new this year is an original musical production based on the Steubenville Nutcracker Village using familiar melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, titled “Wooden Heart Follies”. The musical will be presented on four Sunday afternoons, November 27^th, December 4^th, 11^th and 18^th at 2:00pm at the Masonic Hall on North Fourth Street.  Tickets  are $7 adult, $4 students, and under 6 yrs. free and can be obtained at the door or at the Steubenville Visitor Center.

And we can’t forget the Steubenville Christmas Parade “Sights and Sounds of Christmas: Nutcracker Magic” which will take place on Saturday, December 10^th at noon on Fourth Street.

When the arches arrive can the Nutcrackers be far behind?

Set aside a few dates to come and enjoy all the activities, one visit definitely won’t do!

Getting ready for the invasion of the Nutcrackers!

Preparation is well under way for this year’s Nutcracker Village, Advent Market and Christmas Parade.

Having met with such huge success last year, The Nutcracker Village has grown from 37 characters to an impressive, almost unimaginable 112!    Bringing even more excitement to the Village/Fort Steuben Park is the addition of a 30′ Christmas tree to be erected over the fountain.  There will also be other new, festive decorations added both outside and in the Magical Christmas Wonderland located inside the Visitor Center.  The Advent Market will have a larger number of vendors as well and will be open more weekends.

The Village will be open from November 22nd through January 8th in the Fort Steuben Park.  The Advent Market will be open for Light-up Night November 22nd, and the weekends of November 25th – 27th, December 2nd – 4th, December 9th-11th, and December 16th – 18th.  Trolley Tours and Hayrides will also be a part of the festivities, as well as the indoor “Magical Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop”.

There will also be a Nutcracker Original Musical  ‘The Wooden Heart Follies’ presented at the Masonic Hall at 2:00pm on four Sunday afternoons (November 27, December 4, December 11, and December 18).  Admission is $7 – adults,  $4 – students, and under 6 years is free. Tickets can be obtained at the Steubenville Visitor Center or at the door.

The Steubenville Christmas Parade “Sights & Sounds of Christmas: Nutcracker Magic” takes place right in the middle of all this excitement on Saturday, December 10th at Noon.  Of course, the parade will include a number of the Nutcrackers, who will ‘escape’ from the Village just long enough to participate.  Be sure to attend and watch for your favorite character.  Last year the parade drew the largest crowd since the 1950’s and we are hoping for a repeat this year!

So mark your calendar now and set aside a few days because you won’t be able to get it all done in just one!

The Nutcracker Village, Advent Market, Magical Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop, Trolley Tours & Hayrides are all located at, or leave from, Fort Steuben Park and Visitor Center, 120 South 3rd Street, Steubenville, OH.  The Masonic Hall, site of the Nutcracker Musical Production “The Wooden Heart Follies” is located at 227 North 4th Street, Steubenville.  The Steubenville Christmas Parade takes place in downtown Steubenville along Fourth Street from North to South Street.

For more information:  Call 740.283.1787.

On September 10th there will be an Ohio River Cruise aboard the Gateway Clipper with CNN’s 2013 Hero of the Year, author and founder of Living Lands and Waters, Chad Pregracke.  This event is sponsored by the Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District.

Guest will have the opportunity to hear Chad relate his adventures cleaning up the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio rivers over the past nine years with his crew of over 87,000 volunteers.  He is sure to amuse and inspire as he shares his journey from a one man cleaning crusade at the age of 17 to the collection of over 8.4 million pounds of debris from our Nation’s greatest rivers.

Luncheon cruise will board at the Steubenville Marina at 11:45am on Saturday, September 10th and depart for the two hour sail.

General admission ticket is $50.  VIP ticket is $150 and includes cruise ticket and VIP reception following the cruise where guests will receive a photo with Chad, signed book, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Seating has been reconfigured on this ‘Sold Out’ event to accommodate additional guests, so there are only a limited number of tickets available.

For more information or to purchase a ticket call 740.264.9790.