Cision PR Newswire

Hundreds of puppeteers and puppetry enthusiasts will gather at University of Maryland this summer to celebrate puppet arts at the National Puppetry Festival, presented by Puppeteers of America.

Explore puppetry arts through workshops, performances, exhibits, special events, puppet films, a puppet slam, social happenings, academic symposia and more.

As the first in-personal national festival since 2019, this is a highly anticipated reunion for puppeteers across the country.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Jan. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A celebrated event for puppeteers and puppet enthusiasts is back in person for the first time since 2019. This July, hundreds of puppeteers and fans will celebrate puppetry at the National Puppetry Festival, presented by Puppeteers of America. The festival will be held at the University of Maryland, Jim Henson's alma mater. It runs July 18th - July 22nd and is open to the public. Registration is now open HERE.

This immersive professional development and networking experience will provide opportunities to explore puppetry through workshops, performances, exhibits, special events, puppet films, a puppet slam, social happenings, academic symposia and more. This year, the festival will focus on the theme of Generations - honoring those that went before, celebrating those who are with us now, and encouraging those to come.

Festival Highlights include:

• 32 Professional puppetry performances from American and international artists
• A bus tour of Jim Henson historical DC sites, with Craig Sherman & Heather Henson
• Workshops from Jim Henson Foundation + Jim Henson Legacy
• A Puppet Parade - attend a Saturday workshop to make a puppet and join the public parade!
• Wonderland Puppet Theater Exhibit
• The Charm City Cabaret, highlighting local Baltimore and D.C. talent
• Community Days with workshops and special events for enthusiasts and general public

For the latest information on festival pricing and details visit: puppeteers.org/national-puppetry-festival.

Puppeteers of America (PofA) is a national non-profit organization founded in 1937 to provide information, encourage performances, and build a community of people who celebrate puppet theater. We advance the art of puppetry by presenting knowledge, providing inspiration and promoting preservation. This organization publishes The Puppetry Journal, a quarterly highlighting the latest in contemporary puppetry.

PofA has produced over 160 national and regional festivals to celebrate and share the puppetry arts. We are proud that so many greats in the field like Jim Henson, Bil Baird, and Burr Tillstrom were active members providing leadership, advice and inspiration. To learn more about and see the benefits of membership, visit puppeteers.org.

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SOURCE Puppeteers of America