Our Christmas show calendar is full to the brim! From the Nutcracker to A Christmas Carol, we guarantee you’ll find a variety of family-friendly Holiday shows this festive season. Here’s a look at the best Christmas plays, ballets, musicals and interactive shows coming to the Twin Cities this year.
There is no better way to celebrate the Yuletide than with a Nutcracker performance, and this list has options for every family – from the young kids with short attention spans to the the full ballet with symphony orchestra.
Find Year-Round Family-Friendly Theater Here.
2026 Christmas Plays and Shows
Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Date(s): 11/03/2026 - 01/03/2027; SEE TIMES
Location: Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 3rd Ave South, Minneapolis, MN, 55404
A Twin Cities Holiday favorite, CTC brings back How The Grinch Stole Christmas for the 2025 Christmas season. Run Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes with one 15-minute intermission • All Ages • Tickets.
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Pas de Deux presents A Sleeping Beauty
Date(s): 11/21/2026; 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, 11411 Masonic Home Drive, Bloomington, MN, 55437
An original ballet production featuring Pas de Deux dancers. Times TBD. Ages 4 & up only. Tickets: 2026 TBD (2025 $15-$25).
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SideKick Theatre's Puss in Boots
Date(s): 11/23/2026 - 12/30/2026; SEE TIMES
Location: Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, 11411 Masonic Home Drive, Bloomington, MN, 55437
Sidekick Theatre’s Holiday musical is a re-telling of the classic fairytale about a penniless orphan and his remarkable cat. Look for special Breakfast with Santa performances. Appropriate for all ages. Tickets: $9-$19/pp.Â
Discounts: Groups of 10 or more $14/each. Field trip groups $9/each.
Read the book: Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault.
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Date(s): 11/28/2026 - 01/03/2027; SEE TIMES
Location: Open Window Theatre, Salem Square Center, Suite 400, 5300 South Robert Trail, Inver Grove Heights, MN, 55077
An adaptation of the C. S. Lewis portal fantasy where it is “always winter but never Christmas” • Recommended for Ages 10+ • Tickets.
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The Wünderbar
Date(s): 12/03/2026 - 12/27/2026; SEE TIMES
Location: Open Eye Theatre, 506 East 24th Street , Minneapolis, MN, 55407
Open Eye Theatre takes the audience to a ramshackle tavern on a back road during a blizzard on the longest night of the year in this new Holiday Musical. Tickets $16.50-$35.20.
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Circus Juventas Holiday Show: Solstice
Date(s): 12/04/2026 - 12/13/2026; SEE TIMES
Location: Circus Juventas, 1270 Montreal Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55116
Circus Juventas, the performing arts circus school, will host 10 performances of its 2026 Holiday Production December 4-13th at the Circus Juventas Big Top in Saint Paul. Tickets on sale in November. $25+.
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Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet
Date(s): 12/04/2026 - 12/05/2026; SEE TIMES
Location: Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403
This annual ballet features, larger than life puppets, breathtaking acrobatics, dazzling costumes and a dash of magic. Ages 5+. Tickets $47+.
*Image Courtesy Hennepin Trust
December 4-5, 2026:
- Friday, December 4 at 7 PM
- Saturday, December 5 at 1 PM
- Saturday, December 5 at 5 PM
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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Date(s): 12/04/2026 - 12/13/2026; SEE TIMES
Location: Merrill Arts Center, The Merrill Black Box Theater at East Ridge High School, 4200 Pioneer Drive, Woodbury, MN, 55129
One of our favorite Christmas plays! When the notorious Herdman kids takeover the annual Christmas pageant will in be disastrous or miraculous? Tickets.
Read the Book: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. This book is about 100 pages long and geared to a reading level of age 8-12.
December 4-6 & 11-13, 2026
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Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts Holiday performance
Thank you, Angie. We’ve added your Holiday performances to this calendar and more of the upcoming performances to our Family-Friendly Performing Arts Calendar. Feel free to submit future kid-friendly shows through our contact form.