Festivals

NOTE: All festivals are currently postponed indefinitely due to the effects of the COVID-19 virus.  More details will provided when it is safe to start rescheduling them.

National Festivals

  • 2023 National Puppetry Festival
    • July 18-22, 2023 : University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
  • 2019 National Puppetry Festival
    • July 16-21, 2019 : University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • 2017 National Puppetry Festival
    • July 18-22, 2017 : Concordia University, St. Paul, MN
  • 2015 National Puppetry Festival
    • August 9-16, 2015 : University of Connecticut
  • 2013 National Puppetry Festival
    • August 5-10, 2013 : Swarthsmore College, PA
  • 2011 National Puppetry Festival
    • July 12-17, 2011 : Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
  • 2009 National Puppetry Festival
    • July 14-19, 2009 : Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA

Southeast Regional Festivals

The Puppeteers of America Southeast Region has a longstanding tradition of holding regional puppetry festivals in every even numbered year, complementing the National Puppetry Festival that is put on by the parent organization in every odd numbered year.

Below is an incomplete list of past festivals and their highlights.  If you have any details on festivals that are not listed (or ones that are lacking details), please contact the webmaster, as we would love to make this list as complete as possible.

2018 Puppet Paradise Festival Asheville, North Carolina June 28 - July 1

Performances:

  • A Natural History Pageant – Street Creature, Asheville, NC
  • Peter and the Wolf – National Marionette Theatre
  • Birth of the Moon – Tongues Out Theater, New Orleans, LA
  • Sea Song – Hobey Ford – Golden Rod Puppets, Asheville, NC
  • The Spinach Dip Pancakes Show – Kevin Kammeraad and Friends
  • Still Life – Matt Sandbank
  • Jeghetto’s Workshop – Tarish Pipkins and Tarin Pipkins
  • Handmade Puppet Dreams (Film) – Heather Henson
  • Bean and Bear Show – Bean and Bear, Atlanta, GA

Workshops:

  • Toy Puppet Making Lab – Kevin Kammeraad
  • Paper Puppet Workshop – Lyon Hill
  • Sound and Storytelling in Puppetry – Jeff Bragg
  • Giant Puppet Dance Club – Cheryl Capezutti
  • Marionette Stringing and Manipulation – David Syrotiak, Jr., National Marionette Theatre
  • Making Puppet Films – Alex Griffin
  • Meet the Artist (in honor of Allelu Kurten) – Carol D’Agostino, featuring Kevin Kammeraad, Tarish Pipkins, and Keith Shubert
2016 Music City Puppet Festival Nashville, Tennessee June 16 - 20

Held in conjunction with the Nashville International Puppet Festival

Regional festival was cancelled, but the International festival went on as planned, and some regional evening shows were rescheduled into small local venues.
2014 Southeast Puppet Jamboree Helen, Georgia July 31 - August 3

Performances:

  • Splish, Splash: Water Stories - Piccadilly Puppets
  • Professor Brainstorm's Brilliant Idea - The Columbia Marionettes
  • Variety on Strings - Scott Land
  • Salsa Cinderella - Grey Seal Puppets
  • Big Bad Little Red Pig Show - Lee Bryan: That Puppet Guy
  • Punch and Judy - Parasol Puppets
  • S**tFarmer - Madison Cripps and Keith Shubert
  • The Rainbow Bridge - Hobey Ford
  • Electricity - Red Herring Puppets
2012 No Festival - A potlatch was planned for September, 2012, but then cancelled.
 
2010 Port City Puppet Festival Wilmington, North Carolina July 15 - 17

Performances: Performance List from Festival Website

Workshops: Workshop List from Festival Website

Blog and Photo Gallery: http://portcitypuppet.wordpress.com/
2008 Puppet Gumbo Savannah, Georgia June 12 - 15

Performances:

  • Beyond the Moss Curtain – Puppet People
  • Micetronauts – Custom Puppets
  • The Magic Floating Table – Shiny Shoes Puppet Factory
  • Panther and Crane – Heather Henson’s IBEX
  • Little Horse’s Big Adventure – Squallis Puppets
  • At the Hop – Mountain Marionettes
  • Polichinelle and the Big Surprise – The Terrible Polichinelle Puppet Theatre
  • Jason’s Dream – Elkland Art Center
  • The Rainbow Bridge and Other Tales – Hobey Ford
  • Adventures in Slumberland – Madcap Puppets
  • Cabaret of Desire – Blair Thomas & Co / Fast Fish Theater
  • Faust (Short Film) – Steven Ritz-Barr and Hoku Uchiyama
  • The Dragon King – Tanglewood Marionettes
2006 East Coast Super Sonic Puppet Festival Asheville, North Carolina July 20 - 23

Performances:

  • Rubber Ducky - Womansong
  • Suspended Animation - The Huber Marionettes
  • Pinocchio - Lee Bryan, That Puppet Guy
  • The Traveler - Dramaton Theater
  • Beauty and the Beast - Paul Vincent Davis
  • Panther & Crane - Heather Henson's IBEX, Inc.
  • Little Bouch - Albrecht Roser
  • Aesop's Fables - Red Herring Puppets
2004 Puppets on the Ridge Asheville, North Carolina July 29 - August 1

Performances:

  • Alice Through the Looking Glass - Renaissance Puppet Theatre Artists
  • RiverPuppets - Serpentchild Theatre
  • Womansong
  • Simple Gifts - Cashore Marionettes
  • Frankenstien - Columbia Marionette Theatre
  • Brementown Musicians - Crabgrass Puppet Theatre
  • The Underground Railway - Schroeder Cherry
  • Buster Keaton's Stroll - Blair Thomas
  • Snip Snip - Curious Moon
  • Science Show 2004 - Tim Reed
  • Galapagos George - Barefoot Puppets
  • A La Carte - Circus Minimus
  • Appalachian - Blue Rose Moon
  • Limberjacks - Dr. Dick
  • Anase: Early in the Day - Wood & Strings
  • Carnival del Mundo - Dan Butterworth
  • Suspended Animation - The Huber Marionettes
2002 No Festival - UNIMA Festival held in Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia June 20 - 23
 
2000 Puppet Festival of the Americas Ft. Lauderdale, Florida June 22 - 25

Performances:

  • George Latshaw
  • Paul Zaloom
  • Teatro de Caphiporra (Uruguay)
  • Additional artists from Peru, Puerto Rico, and more!

Exhibits & Films:

  • Henson's Creature Shop
  • Bread and Puppet
  • Taymor's Fool Fire on the Big Screen
  • Symposium with Bart Roccoberton
1998 Southeast Regional Festival and Conference Atlanta, Georgia June 25 - 28

Hosted at the Center for Puppetry Arts

Steve Whitmire appears with Kermit the Frog
1996 With a Puppet on my Knee Mobile, Alabama June 27 - 30
 
1994   Asheville, North Carolina  
 
1992   Mobile, Alabama  
 
1990 Mountains of Imagination Helen, GA  

Helendorf Inn, next to Festhalle

142 Attendees
1988   Tampa, Florida  
 

Prior to 1988, National Festivals were held every year.  In 1988, the Puppeteers of America board decided to schedule National Festivals on every odd numbered year and reserve even numbered years for Regional Festivals.