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The first White House Christmas in 1961 started out pretty well, as 32-year-old Jackie Kennedy had hit her stride as First Lady. She introduced the tradition of Christmas Tree themes, replacing the tinsel and white lights of the Eisenhowers’ Silver Tree. Instead, she decorated the White House tree with ornaments from the Tchaikovsky ballet, The Nutcracker, including gingerbread cookies, tiny toys, sugarplum fairies and candy canes. Mrs. Kennedy reused these ornaments in 1962 for her children's theme tree. Set up in the North Entrance, this festive tree also featured brightly wrapped packages, candy canes, gingerbread cookies and straw ornaments made...

A holiday favorite – The Nutcracker Ballet – is returning to the Kennedy Center and through the art center’s gift shops and online store you can bring Clara and her Nutcracker Prince into your home.    This year the celebrated production is set in historic 1882 Georgetown with George Washington, King George III, and other historical figures. Join us again with family and friends or start a new holiday tradition with your loved ones.  Set to Tchaikovsky’s magical score, this celebrated classic comes to life with intricate, stunning set designs, original period costumes and over 100 dancers including students and trainees from The Washington...

The website for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts now has a new, improved, easy-to-use on-line shopping experience! The Kennedy Center Gift Shops and the new on-line shopping site offer a carefully sourced, produced and curated selection of high-quality unique products. In the new on-line shop, you will find an ever-expanding offering of performance related products, unique jewelry, accessories and apparel, toys and games, high-quality gifts and collectibles, music CD’s and books, Kennedy-inspired gifts and unique branded merchandise inspired by and reflective of the Kennedy Center’s mission and creative arts. The mission of The Kennedy Center is to increase opportunities for...

Cats, the record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber that has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and 15 languages, is now coming to the Kennedy Center (September 17 – October 6, 2019)! Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with breathtaking music, including “Memory” – one of the most treasured songs in musical theater. See it up close and personal on stage at the Kennedy Center before the celebrity-packed film version hits the theaters this Christmas season. Winner of 7 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Cats tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe...