Nutcracker Museum

2nd Quarter Newsletter 2023

for the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum

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We are preparing for several exciting June events so be sure to mark your calendars!

June 1 is our annual Nutcracker Day—a day when we invite the local residents to see what is here that entices visitors to come from all over the world. Guests can crack nuts with antique nutcrackers, watch a video of the history of nutcrackers, go on a nutcracker hunt, and have a chance to win one of the hourly prizes. And entrance on this day is free for everyone.

June 24 will be the judging of the Kids contest to “Make Anything That Will Crack A Hazelnut”. For several months we have been giving out entry forms to students of all grades and expect to have a good turnout. We encourage all parents to go to www.KidsLoveNutcrackers.com and read about the contest. All information is there, and the kids’ eyes will pop when they see the prizes they could win.

	We are honored to have Natalia Rudzka of Poland as one of the judges for the Nutcracker-making contest. She herself is a nutcracker collector and her father, Jan Pielok, has written a book on nutcrackers printed in both Polish and English. The museum displays one of the nutcrackers shown in this book.
	Some of the most delightful carvings shown in the museum have been crafted in Poland and my favorite is this true-to-life Lizard. He lies quietly on the bottom shelf near the aisle; and is so lifelike that several quests have been known to step aside when they see him.
	Have you ever seen a nutcracker in the shape of a Mermaid? There are several beautiful brass ones produced in England, and folk artist Mary Myers of Virginia created a charming little mermaid that the children love, but this one from Poland is most unusual as it is shown with a baby fingerling.
	And on a tree limb sits a proud mother owl with her baby owlet. It will not be long before she will be watching her young one catch its first meal and take its first flight.
	On the museum’s Holiday Wall nutcrackers represent the various characters of special days celebrated throughout the year beginning with Father Time and ending with Santa Claus. To represent Labor Day, there is none that is more unexpected as a nutcracker than the Polish man with a jackhammer.
	The Polish carvers especially enjoy carving wildlife figures and each is given its own personality trait.  Here you see a bashful monkey, a proud lion protecting her babies, a sly snake, a shy bunny, and a hungry pig with his bowl.

Arlene Wagner, The Nutcracker Lady

Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum Email: curator@nutcrackermuseum.com