Spring into Shopping

Spring edition of Houston Ballet's shopping fundraiser returns in April

Shopping enthusiasts are dancing with joy over the latest announcement from the Houston Ballet. After a four-year hiatus, the spring version of the ballet's popular Nutcracker Market is returning to Houston.

Nearly 150 merchants will offer warm-weather wares at Nutcracker Market Spring, taking place April 17 through April 19 at NRG Center.

“The impact of Nutcracker Market Spring is immense, and we are thrilled to bring this spring tradition back to Houston,” Houston Ballet executive director Sonja Kostich said in a statement. “The funds raised allow us to share the art of ballet with more people, including the talented dance students in our scholarship programs.”

Familiar vendors like Apples Gone Wild, Dog Collar World, and Will Hill Soap Company are returning, alongside more than 40 new merchants. Shoppers will discover brands such as Beaded Blondes, a Texas-based company known for its hand-strung, 14-karat gold beaded jewelry.

Like its sister event, 11 percent of all merchandise sales and admissions will benefit the Houston Ballet, its Academy, and scholarship programs. The Nutcracker Market has raised more than $100 million for the Houston Ballet since its inception.

General admission tickets are $20 and valid for one day. Early bird tickets are $40 and include access to all three days of the market, along with 8:30 am early admission on Friday, April 17. Tickets can be purchased at nutcrackermarket.com or at NRG ticket windows during market days. Early bird tickets can also be purchased by calling 713-535-3231 by April 9.

Nutcracker Market Spring runs Friday, April 17 from 10 am to 7 pm; Saturday, April 18 from 10 am to 6 pm; and Sunday, April 19 from 10 am to 5 pm.

Photo courtesy of Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet has brought back Nutcracker Market SPRING after a four-year hiatus.

fundraisers shopping houston ballet nutcracker market

COWGIRL CORE

Western boutique Flea Style rides back to Houston with rodeo-ready looks

Photo courtesy of Flea Style

Founder and CEO Brittany Cobb brings Flea Style back to Houston, returning to the city where she first began at The Houston Flea.

Just in time for rodeo season, Flea Style is making its long-awaited return to Houston, giving shoppers a new River Oaks destination for boots, belts, and beautifully decorated hats.

The Texas-born brand will officially open its newest storefront in River Oaks on March 7, which is a full-circle moment for founder and CEO Brittany Cobb, who got her start in the Bayou City at the Houston Flea at Silver Street Studios. Since then, Flea Style has become a nine-location retail brand worn by celebrities including Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, Leon Bridges, and Post Malone.

“I’ve been looking for a Houston location for about five years,” Cobb says. “Each visit, I just never found the right spot that worked for the business at the time. Last fall, I visited, determined to find something, even if just a pop-up, to open by rodeo season. That’s when I finally found a location that checked every box and truly felt like our long-term Houston home.”

With the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo attracting stylish crowds to NRG Stadium through March 22, Cobb made sure Houston shoppers would have access to exclusives. The River Oaks location is launching with a small collection of vintage women’s cowboy boots, a special collection of kantha quilt capes and jackets, and 30 custom-decorated hats.

Flea Style’s new River Oaks storefront opens March 7, just in time for rodeo season.Photo courtesy of Flea Style

“We’re offering an incredible selection of vintage women’s cowboy boots,” Cobb says. “It’s only our second location to carry them, and we’re launching with about 40 pairs. We’re also bringing our fan-favorite Belt Bar, featuring blank belts and vintage buckles. Our Houston customer loves vintage and one-of-a-kind pieces, so I specifically shopped at the market with them in mind.”

Cobb tells CultureMap returning to Houston feels like she never really left. “The Houston shopper is so special to me, and to the company, because they’ve been a part of my story since before our first retail location,” Cobb says. “We go way back to my days as a collector, early entrepreneur, and a young mom starting my business. I’m so excited to be back in Houston to continue our story, face-to-face, and help our shoppers and fans create unique styles with pieces that aren’t offered anywhere else in the city.”

The Houston opening also coincides with a huge milestone for Cobb. She will release her debut book, How To Style A Hat, with a foreword by Miranda Lambert, on April 21.

Flea Style, 1963 W Gray St. 7019, Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Flea Style

Founder and CEO Brittany Cobb brings Flea Style back to Houston, returning to the city where she first began at The Houston Flea.

rodeo style rodeo shopping houston flea style