2025 Hudson Valley Puppetry Festival
A Day of Puppetry
March 22, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Academy | 33 Academy St, Poughkeepsie, NY
Explore a world of creativity as puppet makers and performers share their unique designs with families of all ages! Visit displays from talented artists, see incredible puppets up close, and learn about the process behind their creation. With hands-on workshops, puppet-making activities, and live demonstrations, it’s a fun and inspiring event for kids and adults alike!
Audience: All Ages | Cost: Free
Free parking across the street from the Academy!
Uncanny Valley Puppet Slam
SOLD OUT!
March 22, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
The Ritz Theater | 107 Broadway, Newburgh, NY 12550
Get ready for a night of bold, bite-sized performances that push the boundaries of puppetry! Featuring a lineup of talented artists, each bringing their unique vision to life, this is puppetry like you’ve never seen before—funny, strange, moving, and strictly for grown-ups. From the wildly absurd to the deeply provocative, these short pieces promise an evening full of surprises, creativity, and adult-only humor.
Audience: Adult | Cost: $15 Online | $20 Door
Magnificent Monster Circus
March 23, 2025 | 2:00 p.m.
Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum | 75 N Water St, Poughkeepsie
Come one, come all, to a circus like no other! Encounter magnificent creatures from the wilds of your imagination as their quirky human caretaker tries to teach them new tricks. Kids can lend a hand to Eustice the Unicycling Unimonster, make friends with a Fiery Fanged Worm, cheer for Agnes the many-legged Acropod, and more! This colorful, silly, multi-sensory show full of friendly monsters is a perfect match for young audiences.
Audience: For Kids & Families | Cost: $5 Members | $8 Non-Members
Waffle And Friends
SOLD OUT!
March 25, 2025 | 4:30 p.m
Cornwall Public Library | 395 Hudson St, Cornwall, NY
Waffle & Friends is an entertaining, half-hour puppet variety show. With a fun, modern twist on a classic tale, catchy original music, and adorable puppets, your audience is sure to have a blast! Waffle, the lovable dog emcee, introduces his friends (in varying puppet styles) to perform entertaining skits that last under 5 minutes, keeping your audience engaged and entertained throughout the entire show. A fuzzy creature, some musical bugs, a witty owl who loves to tell jokes, and even an energetic chicken who loves to exercise, have all come along to sing and perform for your enjoyment. Whether you love to sing, move, or just play along, this fun and educational performance is sure to ignite your imagination
Audience: For Kids & Families | Cost: Free, Registration Required.
Cardboard Explosion!
SOLD OUT!
March 29, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Howland Cultural Center | 477 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508
A series of captivating tales unfold through the magic of cardboard and the boundless power of imagination. With help from the audience, puppeteer Brad Shur takes the simplest of materials—plain cardboard shapes—and skillfully transforms them into an array of expressive and elaborate puppet characters. As each story develops, these characters move, interact, and surprise, proving that with a little creativity, even the most ordinary materials can become something extraordinary.
Audience: For Kids & Families | Cost: Free, Registration Required.
This program has been produced in part with the support of the State of New York Office of Children and Family Services upon the legislative initiative of Assembly member Jonathan Jacobson. Any opinions or other content of the programs are the responsibility of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations and policy of the state.
Allelu Kurten: Love and Light
April 3, 2025 | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Hyde Park Library Annex | 4 Main Street Hyde Park, NY
This exhibit celebrates the creativity and passion of Allelu Kurten, a longtime Hudson Valley resident whose dedication to puppetry left a lasting impact on the community. Showcasing a selection of her whimsical and expressive creations, the display honors her lifelong love for the art form and the joy she brought to those around her.
Audience: All ages. | Cost: Free
Monster Intelligence
April 5, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.
Newburgh Free Library | 124 Grand St, Newburgh, NY
Melvin the Monster is another year older but still not old enough for his license to scream! His birthday wish changes that, and the Division for Monster Screams grants his wish on the condition of his passing a test. Learning this new information can be difficult for Melvin, and he sets off on a quest of self-discovery with his friend Red the Rat by his side. Populated by a cast of friendly, colorful monster characters and original songs from rock-and-roll, to classical, jazz, pop and Broadway standards, this is a journey you will never forget.
Audience: For Kids & Families | Cost: Free
Jim Henson’s The Frog Prince Screening with Live Puppet Demonstration & Workshop
April 12, 2025 | 2:00 p.m.
Upstate Films: Orpheum Theatre | 198 Main Street Saugerties, NY
Join us for a special screening of The Muppets’ Frog Prince, featuring a live puppetry demonstration by Dov Manley of Up in Arms Puppets! After the show, dive into a hands-on workshop where you can create your very own frog puppet to take home. Perfect for all ages!
Audience: All Ages Welcome.| Cost: Pay what you’d like.
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater- DIRT: THE SECRET LIFE OF SOIL
Saturday, April 12, 2025 | 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Village Hall | 35 Merritt Avenue | Millbrook, NY
Calling all kids and parents of the Hudson Valley! Arm-of-the-Sea Theater will be taking their beloved puppet shows and live music to Millbrook, NY with DIRT: The Secret Life of Soil.
Using cutting-edge science and age-old puppetry, DIRT takes audiences on an extravagant journey of discovery into the Great Underneath—revealing the epic alchemy of plants, the fungi’s dance of mutual delight, and the microbes’ herculean labors. Featuring live music and a myriad of puppet figures ranging from 12 inches to 12 feet tall, the show reminds earthly residents of all ages how profoundly essential is the ground beneath their feet.
Audience: All Ages Welcome.| Cost: Free.
Window Gallery: Parade Puppets
April 3 - April 26, 2025
The Trolley Barn | 489 Main St, Poughkeepsie
See larger than life puppets created for Parades, festivals, a,nd celebrations right here in the Hudson Valley. Giant parade puppets created for La Guelaguetza, Red Wing Blackbird and more will be on display in the windows of the Trolley Barn.
Audience: All Ages Welcome.| Cost: Free
Puppetry Around the World
April 1 - April 26, 2025
Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory | 8 North Cherry St, Poughkeepsie
A poster exhibit exploring puppetry traditions around the world.
Audience: All Ages Welcome.| Cost: Free
Paper Heart Puppets Workshop
April 19, 2025
Ellenville Public Library, 40 Center St, Ellenville, NY
A make and take workshop.
Audience: All Ages Welcome.| Cost: Free, registration required.
Hudson Valley Puppet Slam
April 26, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
The Stissing Center | 2950 Church St, Pine Plains, NY
Hudson Valley Puppet Slam is an evening of short puppetry performances for grown-ups. Short-form puppet stories that are adult in nature and employ unique storytelling with humorous, unconventional, and sometimes thought-provoking themes with a DIY/ indie-style spirit. We feature puppet artists from the Hudson Valley and surrounding areas.
Audience: Adults.| Cost: $25 - $35
Riparian Rhapsody at Treecycle 2025
Saturday, April 26, 2025| 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Stanley Deming Park | 79 South St Warwick, NY
Riparian Rhapsody is a puppet extravaganza dives into Catskill ecology to reveal the intricate interactions between Forest & Stream and lyrically makes the case for protecting streamside buffer zones. Featuring stunning visuals, live music, and a singing Bear!
This live puppet show by Arm-of-the-Sea Theater will perform at Treecycle 2025 at Stanley Deming Park in Warwick, NY at 2pm.
Free public performance sponsored by the Albert Wisner Public Library.
Treecyle is a free Earth Day event celebrating art, community, and environmental action. It features creative reuse installations, art activities, live performances, and information booths on local sustainability initiatives in the Warwick Valley. This delightful spring festival is suitable for all ages.
RAIN DATE, SUN. APRIL 27, 1 - 5PM
Audience: All Ages Welcome.| Free
Closing Reception
April 26, 2025 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory | 8 N Cherry St, Poughkeepsie
Celebrate the closing of the festival and puppets in the Hudson Valley.
Audience: All Ages Welcome. | Cost: Free
Gallery Walks
April 26, 2025| 9:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory | 8 N Cherry St, Poughkeepsie
There will be a 9:30 am tour of the exhibits along Main Street starting at the Puppets in the Windows (379 Main Street), moving on to Parade Puppets at the Trolley Barn, and ending with at the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory. A second tour will take place at 1 p.m. starting at the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory and ending at Puppets in the Window.