MCA to host Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party Nov. 21

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) will hold its sixth biennial Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party, Sunday, Nov. 21, at Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

This year’s Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party features two tea sittings at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., providing specialty teas and exquisite finger foods. The Land of the Sweets Gift Boutique, featuring holiday gifts and crafts, as well as products from At Home America, Forever Engraved, Mon Petit Cupcake and USBorne Books, will be available for purchase from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 per person. All children attending the tea party will receive a complimentary professional photo with their favorite live character from the Nutcracker Ballet. Tea attendees will enjoy the sounds of MCA’s Winona Area Youth Singers, as well as flute, clarinet and piano accompaniment by MCA’s music division instructors.

To reserve seats, or a full table of six, call (507) 453-5500. The Valéncia Arts Center is handicapped accessible.

The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea party is MCA’s first big event of its Nutcracker production season. The company will present the full-length ballet Dec. 2-5, at Saint Mary’s University Page Theatre. This year’s 80 cast members include students from Saint Mary’s University, Winona State University and children and community members from Winona and the surrounding areas.

Tickets for the Nutcracker performance are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and are available by calling the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, or visit www.pagetheatre.org.

Proceeds from The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party will benefit the MCA student scholarship fund and Nutcracker production costs.