Photo Credit: Puppets Up!
The bi-annual Puppets Up! festival returns to downtown Almonte this weekend!
Starting in 2005, the event returned in 2022 after a hiatus, with family fun to be had August 8th and 9th. The festival will have many affordable options including free street performances and parades, interactive crafts and activities for a $5 donation and tickets available in a range of prices for shows featuring international puppet troops from Spain, the US and Canada. Jane Torrance, executive director of the festival, says people can expect fun and joy for the whole family.
The event, started by a group led by Noreen Young, has seen thousands of attendees over the years and expects this one to be their biggest yet. Torrance shares her memory of Noreen Young. Young was a recipient of the Order of Canada. She drew and mentored youth into the arts and the puppeteering industry and had a great impact on the Town of Almonte and Mississippi Mills as a whole, according to Torrance.
Puppets are commonly associated with children’s programming, but originally it was not. Torrance shares that puppeteering was created for a unique and memorable way to share stories and history.
Some road closures are expected as the event gets underway this weekend. Mill Street between Almonte and Bridge Streets will be fully closed Saturday and Sunday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The intersection of Mill and Bridge Streets will be temporarily closed each day from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. as the parade makes its way into the festival.
For tickets and information on the festival, visit puppetsup.com
(Written by: Bob Kubbinga)
