I think I mentioned that everyone associated with Puppets Up! is pretty fond of Max Keeping, CTV’s Community Ambassador. This year, he was one of our celebrity parade marshals once again, and in years past he was always a huge supporter of the festival.

Just before this year’s festival, we paid tribute to Max in Almonte and presented him with a new celebrity look-alike puppet at a community picnic event. The last puppet Noreen Young made for him perished in the fire that claimed the CTV newsroom on Merivale Road in Ottawa. So she got to work and fashioned a more up-to-date version of our favourite broadcaster.

I thought you might like to see some photos of the new mini-Max! That’s Max with our Mayor, Al Lunney, and his puppet. The other photo includes Max’s granddaughter, Noreen Young and Joshua Thompson who won last year’s Puppets Up! story writing competition.