Mr. Nutcracker is back in town and this time he brought his cousin Tommy Tempo.
Nutcracker visits Oak Bay village each November leading up to Oak Bay’s light up, enticing residents and visitors to head into shops for a chance to win tickets to the ballet.
“We do it for fun and to engage the community, to let them know about the Alberta Ballet’s upcoming ballet,” says Tracy Smith, marketing manager with Dance Victoria. “It’s a fun way to engage the community.”
Now in it’s third year, she recalls teens running down the street in a bid to be first to a shop during last year’s competition. Each daily clue, posted through the Dance Victoria Facebook and Instagram accounts, includes a photo and a little tale of how Mr. Nutcracker and Tommy Tempo came to be at the day’s location.
“It’s been great. We’ve seen great momentum over the last three years with the stories we’ve created,” Smith says. “He’s taking him (Tempo) around through the village to all these different shops, so far they have gone through Beacon Hill Park together, arrived at the village at Entrance Park sign and played at the acorns (Sleeping Giants sculpture at municipal hall),” Smith says.
There the pair suffered a fall, and wound up at The Cobbler for repairs.
“People are welcome to try and sleuth them out and find them in the village,” Smith said. The first person through the door gets a gift, while everyone else that day is entered to win two tickets to the ballet.
During the Nov. 26 light up in Oak Bay they’ll draw the grand prize – a basket of goodies from Oak Bay village merchants.
For a little more Nutcracker fun, take a selfie with Mr. Nutcracker or Tommy Tempo and post your photo on Instagram. Tag your post with @dance_victoria #FindTheNutcracker #OakBayChristmas #DVNut.
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