Festivals | Atlanta Puppetry Guild

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 StFarmer - 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.