Make Holiday Memories in Steubenville

November 12, 2025 MyOhioFun

Glittering Christmas trees, holiday music, colorful lights, St. Nicholas, and over 200 unique large-as-life Nutcrackers offer dozens of photo opportunities and memorable moments during the annual Steubenville Nutcracker Village^TM in Steubenville, Ohio, which runs from Nov. 25 through Jan. 9, 2026.

Now celebrating its eleventh year of bringing joy and laughter to thousands of visitors, the free event has become a holiday tradition for many. The stars of the Nutcracker Village are the uniquely designed, locally produced, larger-than-life Nutcrackers that depict characters from literature, history, movies, entertainment, and the professions. Although the Nutcrackers are on display 24/7, the event becomes more magical on weekends when numerous activities are added to the excitement.

The Steubenville Cultural Trust which created each of these delightful Nutcrackers have developed additional activities that appeal to a wide audience, from an Advent Market, Hayrides, the Children’s Corner, a Gluhwein Garden, and so much more. New this year is the performance of excerpts from The Nutcracker Ballet on November 29, 2025, in partnership with the Canton Ballet in honor of their 60th Anniversary. There will be two performances, and tickets can be found online at SteubenvilleNutcrackerVillage.com. A visit to Drosselmeyer’s Nutcracker Shoppe will delight young and old and be sure to pick up a schedule of all the events happening too.

Other groups and organizations in the community have joined in presenting even more things to do while visiting the Nutcrackers which are located throughout the Historic Downtown area. A Sound & Light Show at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Market Street will be presented by the County Commissioners and will open the season on Friday, Nov. 28 for Steubenville Lights Up the Night and will continue each weekend until Christmas.

At Historic Fort Steuben, their annual Christmas at the Fort event and Holiday Market in Fort Steuben Park features more than twenty booths of artisan crafters surrounding the 30’ Christmas tree with two model trains chugging around its limbs. Opening also on Nov. 28th for Steubenville Lights up the Night, Christmas at the Fort will delight guests with live entertainment, the blessing of the Christmas tree, and a firework show that will top off the evening. On weekends there are Trolley Rides, puppet shows, movies, entertainment, and St. Nicholas. Visitors stroll through the market and under a canopy of multi-colored lights and music to enter the Fort Steuben Visitor Center, where there are Letters to Santa, a model train village, and a Christmas Shoppe featuring unique local gifts. The reconstructed 18th century Historic Fort Steuben is open for a small donation. Christmas at the Fort will be held every weekend from November 28 through Dec 28. Schedules can be found in the Visitor Center at Fort Steuben Park.

Downtown shops will come alive and offer special Christmas products including locally produced Nutcracker Popcorn and roasted Renaissance Coffee. Students from area schools have decorated many of the storefronts and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church hosts the Sanctuary Garden.

The annual Sights and Sounds of Christmas Parade with floats, dance troupes, and bands will process down 4th Street at noon on December 6. The Grand Theater – an historic building in the midst of restoration – will be open that day for tours from 11-2pm. Historic Beatty Park – a nature preserve just a few blocks from the downtown – will offer a live nativity, children’s activities, choirs, hayrides, and Santa Claus at their Christmas in the Park event, also on December 6.

A Children’s Lantern Parade with St. Nicholas leading the youngsters in song as they process to the Sanctuary Garden will be held on Sunday evening, December 5.

Other events throughout the month are on the schedule at various venues downtown to make your visit merry and bright.

For more information on all the holiday attractions go to www.VisitSteubenville.com or www.SteubenvilleNutcrackerVillage.com.

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