Northwest Florida Ballet’s The Nutcracker: November 20–22, 2026 at Mattie Kelly Arts Center

Dates: November 20–22, 2026
Times: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee (each about two hours)
Location: Mattie Kelly Arts Center, 100 College Boulevard E, Niceville
Admission: Not listed on the event pages; call the box office at (850) 729-6000

If a full-length Nutcracker with a live orchestra is part of your holiday tradition, this is the one to plan around. Northwest Florida Ballet’s 47th annual staging has a cast of more than 140, including over 100 local children, and the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra plays live under conductor David Ott.

It’s a longer drive from 30A, since Niceville sits on the north side of Choctawhatchee Bay. The Sunday 2:30 p.m. matinee gets you on the road home earlier. For a shorter outdoor sampler closer to home, see our post on The Nutcracker Ballet Act II at Seaside Amphitheater.

Before you make the drive: we confirmed this listing on the Mattie Kelly Arts Center’s event pages on October 23, 2026, fourteen days after Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin. Some South Walton amenities are still being repaired, so check with the organizer before you go.

Sources: MKAC – The Nutcracker, Fri Nov 20 · MKAC – The Nutcracker, Sat Nov 21 · MKAC – The Nutcracker, Sun Nov 22