Puppets Up!
What: The ninth annual festival of puppetry, with family-friendly shows and a street party taking over the main drag of Mill Street in the picturesque town of Almonte.
When & where: Saturday, Aug. 10, and Sunday, Aug. 11, in Almonte, about a 45-minute drive southwest of Ottawa on Hwy. 417. By the numbers: 10,000: The approximate number of puppet fans who visit the festival each year.
4,800: The population of Almonte. 5: The number of venues where shows are held: three large tents, the town hall theatre and the town youth centre.
30: The number of shows staged each day by 10 puppet troupes. The shows are between half an hour and 45 minutes.
New this year: It’s “family reunion” time, with five troupes that were popular in previous years invited to return.
Check out: The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers are back with Legend of the Banana Kid, about an old-west cowboy and his sidekick Goatie, who get rid of bad guys with the help of a few bananas. “People line up for every one of their shows,” says festival artistic director Noreen Young.
Or perhaps: Tanglewood Marionettes presents a stunning underwater fantasy called The Dragon King, based on Chinese folklore.
For tots: Montreal’s Théâtre des Petites Âmes brings BAM, a “sweet, intimate show” aimed at two- and three-yearolds.
Adults-only: A cabaret in the town hall Saturday, Aug. 10, at 8 p.m. features short adult-oriented skits by all the troupes as well as My Big Fat German Puppet Show by Frank Meschkuleit, a performance that Young calls “smart, naughty, funny and hip.”
Free: Street entertainment ranges from wandering puppets to clowns, face painting, stilt walkers, musicians and a puppet parade.
Tickets: Day passes, which allow entrance to all shows except the cabaret, are $20 for adults and $10 for kids under 3; weekend passes are $30 adults and $15 for kids. Available in advance or at the festival.
Information: puppetsup.ca