When did the Steubenville Nutcracker Village begin?
The Steubenville Nutcracker Village started in 2015, by two men who have a passion for revitalizing their downtown district, with the magic of the Christmas spirit.
How did the Steubenville Nutcracker Village start?
The beginning of the Nutcracker Village can be traced back to two people--Jerry Barilla, who had the idea, and Mark Nelson, whose team of artists brought it to life. For both men, it has been a labor of love for the city of Steubenville.
Like many river towns in the Rust Belt, Steubenville suffered a huge loss in population following the decline of the steel industry. This had a negative impact on the small business community, as well as the pride of the community. For many years, Jerry Barilla, owner of a downtown appliance store, worked with other like-minded individuals to find a path forward. One morning, while putting away Christmas decorations, he had the inspiration to put collections of nutcrackers on display in the empty storefronts as a way to draw people to the downtown during the Christmas season and to help build community. He shared his idea at a meeting in early 2015, and Mark Nelson, another local business owner, was inspired to give it a try, but with a slightly different angle:
“I left the meeting and had my daughter, Madeline, our company’s graphic designer, print off a 6 foot tall picture of a nutcracker for inspiration. With the help of my brother, Mike, who runs our wood shop, we built a prototype.”
The prototype was such a hit that 150 more nutcrackers followed over the next three years. The project has attracted thousands of people to the city, it has inspired new businesses, but most of all, it has helped refresh the spirit of the community.
Who makes the Nutcrackers?
Every single nutcracker was carved by Brodie Stutzman, a young man with a real day job, a beautiful wife and 2 little children. Where does he find the time for nutcrackers? He makes it, because Christmas is important to him.
Most of the nutcrackers were originally painted by Therese Fedoryka, between the hours of 7PM-12AM because she also has a real day job, a husband to feed, and now her latest creation, a beautiful baby girl!
How long does it take to make a Nutcracker?
Each nutcracker takes at least 40 hours to design, carve, and paint. That's over 8000 hours (or 1000 work days!) spent just creating the nutcrackers that you see around town! An additional 400 hours (or 50 work days) are spent each year on repairs and upkeep for the nutcrackers to make them fresh & clean for each new season!
What have people had to say after coming to the Nutcracker Village?
"Love the festival and the spirit of Christmas I feel when we go there."
"We LOVE the nutcrackers- such a cute event. I think placing them in front of local businesses is an amazing idea - I found stores that I didn't even know were there. Great job!!"
"Loved the tour. Great idea to spread them out through the town. Great family activity."
"It's a joy to see the uniqueness of the nutcrackers and it what a great family fun event it is for the young and old."
"Everything we saw was great. No complaints whatsoever. Everyone was so kind. Very warming. Excellent atmosphere... We will be back next year to stay a few days and see everything. A wonderful display you all do. Great job to you all."
*All answers were taken from our 2022 End of Season Survey*
The Steubenville Nutcracker Village started in 2015, by two men who have a passion for revitalizing their downtown district, with the magic of the Christmas spirit.
How did the Steubenville Nutcracker Village start?
The beginning of the Nutcracker Village can be traced back to two people--Jerry Barilla, who had the idea, and Mark Nelson, whose team of artists brought it to life. For both men, it has been a labor of love for the city of Steubenville.
Like many river towns in the Rust Belt, Steubenville suffered a huge loss in population following the decline of the steel industry. This had a negative impact on the small business community, as well as the pride of the community. For many years, Jerry Barilla, owner of a downtown appliance store, worked with other like-minded individuals to find a path forward. One morning, while putting away Christmas decorations, he had the inspiration to put collections of nutcrackers on display in the empty storefronts as a way to draw people to the downtown during the Christmas season and to help build community. He shared his idea at a meeting in early 2015, and Mark Nelson, another local business owner, was inspired to give it a try, but with a slightly different angle:
“I left the meeting and had my daughter, Madeline, our company’s graphic designer, print off a 6 foot tall picture of a nutcracker for inspiration. With the help of my brother, Mike, who runs our wood shop, we built a prototype.”
The prototype was such a hit that 150 more nutcrackers followed over the next three years. The project has attracted thousands of people to the city, it has inspired new businesses, but most of all, it has helped refresh the spirit of the community.
Who makes the Nutcrackers?
Every single nutcracker was carved by Brodie Stutzman, a young man with a real day job, a beautiful wife and 2 little children. Where does he find the time for nutcrackers? He makes it, because Christmas is important to him.
Most of the nutcrackers were originally painted by Therese Fedoryka, between the hours of 7PM-12AM because she also has a real day job, a husband to feed, and now her latest creation, a beautiful baby girl!
How long does it take to make a Nutcracker?
Each nutcracker takes at least 40 hours to design, carve, and paint. That's over 8000 hours (or 1000 work days!) spent just creating the nutcrackers that you see around town! An additional 400 hours (or 50 work days) are spent each year on repairs and upkeep for the nutcrackers to make them fresh & clean for each new season!
What have people had to say after coming to the Nutcracker Village?
"Love the festival and the spirit of Christmas I feel when we go there."
"We LOVE the nutcrackers- such a cute event. I think placing them in front of local businesses is an amazing idea - I found stores that I didn't even know were there. Great job!!"
"Loved the tour. Great idea to spread them out through the town. Great family activity."
"It's a joy to see the uniqueness of the nutcrackers and it what a great family fun event it is for the young and old."
"Everything we saw was great. No complaints whatsoever. Everyone was so kind. Very warming. Excellent atmosphere... We will be back next year to stay a few days and see everything. A wonderful display you all do. Great job to you all."
*All answers were taken from our 2022 End of Season Survey*
