Spirited scenes from the Nutcracker Market, Houston’s holiday shopping extravaganza 🎄🛍️

Each year, the Nutcracker Market ushers in the holiday season. It’s the Houston area’s de facto invitation to cast aside jack-o-lanterns, plastic pumpkins and autumnal décor in favor of tinsel, pine trees and all-things red and green.

What began in as a humble bazaar has grown into a mind-bogglingly massive shopping extravaganza featuring more than one hundred vendors. Thousands of eager shoppers clad in spirited holiday garb descend on NRG Park for the annual event.

For the Nutcracker Market faithful, the excitement begins early, when eager shoppers line up in he convention center for the chance to grab festive merchandise and artisan wares when the doors open.

KPRC 2 visited the Nutcracker Market Thursday to capture the retail holiday spirit and mad-dash hunts for this year’s must-have items. Here’s what we saw.

MORE: Find one-of-a-kind gifts at these festive Houston-area holiday markets

🛍️ Do you enjoy holiday shopping? Do you have any shopping traditions that you look forward to every year? Tell us in the comments.