Attention News/Assignment Editors
Festival mascot, Nick, and puppets with statue of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. “It’s Magic” ©2012 Paddy Vargas. All Rights Reserved.
ALMONTE (Town of Mississippi Mills), July 26, 2012 − With a wave of his magic wand, Puppets Up! mascot, Nick, will conjure up the best family festival this side of Hogwarts as the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival gets underway in Almonte, Ontario, on August 11 and 12.
The magic begins as the festival celebrates its 8th year with a matinee kick-off performance by Docela velke divadlo, a 12-member puppetry and dance troupe from the Czech Republic, at 2 p.m. on Friday, August 10. The troupe will perform their version of “Swan Lake” intended as a cultural goodwill gesture from the Czech Republic to Canada.
Starting on Saturday morning, the two-day festival will feature shows by professional puppet troupes from Canada, the U.S.A. and France. The festival is pleased to highlight and thank its many sponsors, including our Signature Sponsor, Neilcorp Homes.
The festival’s official show schedule and a visitor guide have now been posted at www.puppetsup.ca. The festival schedule includes performance times for this year’s 10 visiting troupes. The guide provides key information and links to help festival-goers, especially those with young children, plan their fun in Almonte.
“It’s Magic!” is our theme this year, so don’t be surprised if you hear shouts of “Hocus Pocus” and “Abracadabra!” in downtown Almonte this year”, says the festival’s Artistic Director, Noreen Young. “Our Mayor seems to like the ring of “Alla Peanut Butter Sandwiches”. It’s not an illusion though – this is wall-to-wall fun for kids of all ages.”
The Puppets Up! International Festival provides world-class family entertainment in the theatres and on the streets, hassle free (and free) parking, a daily parade, a very walkable and visitor-friendly festival site, great local shops and festival vendors, and plenty of green space for the occasional breather. And Almonte is only a half-hour drive from Ottawa!
On Saturday night (August 11), the festival promises the usual “controlled chaos” at a puppet cabaret in Almonte’s Old Town Hall for adults only. The Something Up Our Sleeves cabaret begins at 8 p.m. and pulls back the curtain to reveal some of the magic behind puppetry and puppet performances. Lawrence Smythe, who has performed at Puppets Up! in the past, is the featured puppeteer/performer, but all of the visiting troupes get into the act somehow.
For more information on about the festival, the cabaret, tickets and pricing, visit www.puppetsup.ca or call 613.256.3881. Please note that festival tickets can be purchased on-line. Follow us on Twitter @puppetsup and Facebook!
Media Contact:
Susan Wright
(613) 730-2020
susan@suzwright.com