Nutcracker in Cary 2026: Cary Ballet dates, times, tickets

Last checked Oct. 29, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates, times and ticket links come from Cary Ballet Company and the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.

Cary Ballet Company’s “The Nutcracker” plays the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave., from Thursday, Dec. 17, to Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026, after an opening day at the Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh on Saturday, Dec. 5. Tickets for both runs are on sale now. The company calls it “a hometown holiday tradition”: the full ballet to Tchaikovsky’s score, plus a one-hour narrated “Nutcracker Suite” for young children.

Who to call

• Cary Ballet Company: 919-297-8095, info@caryballetcompany.org
• Large-print programs: email the company with “Program Needs” in the subject line at least two weeks ahead
• Town arts programs: Cary 311, or 919-469-4000 from outside town limits

Show times at a glance

Times are as the company lists them on its Nutcracker page; check there before you go.

Which show to pick

• The full ballet follows Clara and her Nutcracker Prince from a family party into a dream world, a battle with the Mouse Queen, the Snow scene and the Land of Sweets, the company says.
• The Nutcracker Suite is a one-hour narrated matinee “designed as a perfect introduction for kids of all ages.” It starts on a bare stage with a mini class, then lights, music, props and dancers build up excerpts from the ballet.
• The sensory-friendly Suite, 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 18, is the same one-hour show with dimmed house lights, softer music, no flashing lights, communication boards and a quiet room if needed. The company says it is for children and families with autism spectrum disorders, sensory sensitivities or other disabilities (sensory-friendly page).

Tickets

• Cary Arts Center shows: sold through Etix, with a link to each performance on the company’s Nutcracker page. Tickets went on sale Oct. 9.
• Raleigh shows, Dec. 5: sold through Ticketmaster, linked from the Martin Marietta Center’s event page.
• Prices: neither the company’s page nor the center’s page lists them; they show on the ticket sites.
• Photo op: after several Cary shows, including the Suite performances, children can meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, her Prince and Clara in Principal’s Hall in the lobby. It is $10 a guest with a sweet treat; a parent with the child does not need a ticket. Proceeds go to the nonprofit’s season.
• Opening night reception: a Diamond Reception add-on is offered with the 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. shows on Dec. 5 (reception page).

Nutcracker Tea

The Town of Cary holds a Nutcracker Tea with Cary Ballet Company at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, the company says. It does not include tickets to the ballet. The company’s page does not name the place or the price; registration is through the town. We will add both when the town posts them.

Getting there and parking

• Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave., is downtown. The four downtown parking decks are free; locations are on our getting around page. Road work near downtown is on our road construction and closures page.
• Fletcher Opera Theater, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. South St., Raleigh, about 11 miles east. The center allows no bags larger than 12 by 12 by 10 inches, and every guest goes through a metal detector. Parking is on the center’s directions and parking page, linked from its event page.

More holiday shows in Cary

• “A Peter Rabbit Christmas,” an outdoor holiday show by Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and Seed Art Share at Downtown Cary Park, 5 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, and 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 (event page).
• Legacy of Jazz: “My Favorite Things,” holiday favorites with Shana Tucker and Christian Tamburr, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, and Friday, Dec. 4, The Cary Theater (event page).
• Concert Singers of Cary: Holiday Pops, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, Cary Arts Center (concert page).
• Cary Town Band: Winterfest ‘26, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, Cary Arts Center. The band says all its concerts have free admission (upcoming concerts).

The tree lighting and the Christmas parade are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page, and Santa visits and light displays are on our holiday lights page.

What this means for you

• For the full ballet in Cary, the Saturday and Sunday shows give you the most choice of times.
• With young children, the one-hour Suite is the shorter option; the Dec. 18 show is the sensory-friendly one.
• The Raleigh date on Dec. 5 is the only chance to see it before mid-December; allow time for the security screening.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Nutcracker in Cary in 2026?

Cary Ballet Company performs The Nutcracker at the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave., from Thursday, Dec. 17, to Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026. The full ballet is at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The company also dances it at the Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh on Saturday, Dec. 5.

What is the Nutcracker Suite?

A one-hour narrated version for children, the company says: it starts on a bare stage with a mini class, then lights, music, props and dancers build up excerpts from the ballet. It plays at 11 a.m. Dec. 5 in Raleigh, and at 6 p.m. Dec. 17, 11 a.m. Dec. 18 (sensory-friendly) and 11 a.m. Dec. 19 in Cary.

Is there a sensory-friendly Nutcracker in Cary?

Yes. The Nutcracker Suite at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at the Cary Arts Center has dimmed house lights, softer music, no flashing lights, communication boards and a quiet room if needed, according to Cary Ballet Company.

Where do I buy Nutcracker tickets?

Cary Ballet Company sells the Cary Arts Center shows through Etix and the Raleigh shows through Ticketmaster, with links to each performance on its Nutcracker page. Cary tickets went on sale Oct. 9. The company does not list prices on that page.