Leavenworth Nutcracker Day
"Come and celebrate the Nutcracker. There is no other tool or collectible like it"
|
Each year, the
Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum hosts a nutcracker-making contest for
children, with the entries showcased during our annual Nutcracker
Day. Nutcracker Day serves as a wonderful opportunity to showcase our museum, inviting visitors from near and far to enjoy free admission. This year, we welcomed 962 guests who had the opportunity to view over 9,000 nutcrackers, including a historic piece dating back to 200 BC–200 AD. Children and adults alike participated in our nutcracker scavenger hunts, often becoming so engrossed in the collection that they would lose track of their search. All visitors received a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Steinbach nutcracker, creating an atmosphere of great excitement as participants eagerly awaited the drawing. Our founder, the "Nutcracker Lady," was present throughout the day, greeting guests, assisting with scavenger hunts, and sharing stories about the collection. Her vision, established 20 years ago, was to share the remarkable history and artistry behind this museum—the only one of its kind in the United States. This year’s event commenced with our Board President, John, our Executive Director, Michelle, and our newest board member, Leon, judging the unique creations submitted by our participants. We received nine creative
entries this year. |
| GRADES 1 THROUGH 4 | ||
|
First-place winner
Jackson impressed us with his “Bat Phone” nutcracker. This marked
his second year in the contest, and he exceeded all expectations by
arriving in a full Batman costume to explain the creative process
behind his project. His boundless energy was truly remarkable.
|
Jackson Dieringer 1st Place Age 9 $100 Prize |
 |
| Arya Annumalla 2nd Place Age 8 $50 Prize |
 |
|
| No Entries 3rd Place |
||
| GRADES 5 THROUGH 8 | ||
|
The first-place winner in the 5th–8th grade
division was Baxter, who discovered a bunch of found parts to build
his nutcracker. With his grandfather’s
assistance, he fashioned a functional nutcracker that effectively
cracks nuts by adjusting an attached rubber band. A teacher from Mountain View Elementary in Yakima County submitted six entries from her fifth-grade students, two of whom secured second and third-place honors. Specifically, Xyla and Charlie earned 2nd and third-place recognition. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication of this wonderful teacher, as her support significantly increases our participation levels and is deeply appreciated. |
Baxter Beardsley Age 13 1st Place $100 Prize |
 |
| Charlie Gall Age 10 2nd Place $50 Prize |
 |
|
| Xyla Roberts Age 11 3rd Place $25 Prize |
 |
|
| GRADES 9 THROUGH 12 (No Entries) | ||
|
Better get crackin' for next year high schoolers! |
||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MORE 2026 ENTREES, EVERYONE DID WONDERFUL!
 |
 |
 |
|
| Everlyn 5-8th grade | Kenzie 5-8th grade | William 5-8th grade |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FEATURED ENTRY
A local student, in the 5th thru 8th
Division, named Hawthorne submitted his fourth annual entry. We
always look forward to seeing his unique creations and hearing the
stories behind them.
This year, Hawthorne presented a nutcracker titled "The Salmon Saver." He explained that salmon are a keystone species in our environment, and he ingeniously utilized repurposed materials to construct his project, aiming to raise awareness about the impact of packaging waste on the rivers that sustain these fish.
735 Front St.
Leavenworth,
WA
1-509-548-4573
info@nutcrackerday.com
