The Nutcracker Tea Party
The Nutcracker Tea Party is The Washington Ballet’s festive holiday gathering and a longstanding Washington tradition. Held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, the afternoon features seasonal refreshments, holiday decorations, interactive activities for families, and appearances by members of The Nutcracker cast. Proceeds support The Washington Ballet’s education, community, accessibility, and scholarship initiatives.
Tea Party tickets also include front-orchestra seating for one of two performances of The Nutcracker at the Warner Theatre: the 1:00 p.m. matinee or the 6:00 p.m. evening performance.
When: Sunday, December 6, 2026
Showtime: The Nutcracker Tea Party begins at 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Tickets: Price not available
Included with admission: Front-orchestra tickets to the guest’s choice of the 1:00 p.m. matinee or 6:00 p.m. evening performance of The Nutcracker at the Warner Theatre
Activities: Seasonal treats, festive décor, interactive family experiences, and special appearances by members of The Nutcracker cast
Ages: Designed for guests of all ages
Event leadership: Co-chaired by Hastie Afkhami and Jennifer Frost
Community impact: Event proceeds help fund world-class ballet training for approximately 3,800 students each year, dance residencies in 15 schools through DanceDC, free community performances and student matinees through Dance for All, Dance for PD® classes for people with Parkinson’s disease and their families, and more than $400,000 in annual merit- and need-based scholarships.
Sponsors: Clara Sponsors are Luanne Adams and Murrell Smith, Nicole Brener-Schmitz, The Frost Group—Jennifer Frost and Jim Carter, Walker Forehand, S-3 Group, and Steve Salis & The Salis Family.
Sponsors: Dewdrop Sponsors are Hastie and Amir Afkhami, Evan and Allana D’Amico, Anna Palmer and Patrick Mellody, Holidae Hayes of UBS Financial Services, and Eve A. Lilley.
Sponsors: Snow Sponsors are District Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Shannon Green, Caroline Littleton, The McGuinn Family, The Nardelli Group, Mt. Royal Printing, Kendall Pease, Shadow Search, Dai Shi, The Spain Family and Narrative Strategies, and Isabella Trujillo.
Sponsors: Toy Soldier Sponsors are Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bozzuto, Chloe Kaplan of Amore Learning, Dr. Erik van der Merwe and Caroline Richard, Lindsey Schulte, Emily Sower Residential, and Richard Zantzinger.