Frank Lemus

The Signal Staff

Dogs are a man’s best friend, and this year’s Nutcracker Market used that very theme to welcome the coming holiday season. Every year, for the past 29 years, the Houston Ballet has put on the Nutcracker Market to raise funds for their endeavors.

Gaylon Gullquist, market chairman of the 2009 Nutcracker Market, originated the idea for this year’s dog theme, calling it “Puttin’ on the Dog,” and was inspired when she discovered the artistry of Jim Tweedy, a Louisiana-based artist.

More than 300 national and international merchants participated in the four-day event, which last year alone brought in more than $2.5 million and 74,000 shoppers. This is truly a shopper’s paradise, as vendors offer a whole array of different items ranging from kid’s tents to frogs with slotted backs that make realistic frog noises when a stick is rubbed against them. Continue Reading