The eighth-annual New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival returns for a five-day celebration of the ancient, innovative, and wildly varying art form of puppetry from April 7 to 11. The Giant Puppet Festival will host local, national, and international artists with kid-friendly and adult-only performances from daytime through late night across multiple venues.

The 2022 venues include The Mudlark Public Theatre at 1200 Port Street, Happyland Theater at 3126 Burgundy Street, The Twilight Theatre at Allways at 2240 St. Claude Avenue, and the newly remodeled Art Space at 2120 Port Street.

Puppetry artists include Night Shade from Portland, Oregon; ToyBox Theater from Asheville, North Carolina; Rasputin’s Marionettes from Los Angeles; Enormous Face from New York City; Cookie Tongue from Brooklyn, New York; Nate Puppets from Cleveland, Ohio; and H. Gene Thompson from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Local favorites include The Mudlark Puppeteers, Harry Mayronne, Flutterbug and Scribbles, Poose The Puppet and Poncili Creacion, originally from Puerto Rico.

Weekend nights feature Puppet Slams hosted by ToyBox, America’s Favorite Cartoon Witch, returning to The Mudlark Public Theatre. Weekend days will include two puppetry workshops, Object Narrative and Flashlight & Shadows, hosted by Abandoned Ships, and a roundtable discussion titled “What Isn’t a Puppet?’ along with a brunch hosted by Enormous Face.

A Giant Puppet Parade will he held on Saturday, April 9, lining up at The Mudlark Theatre at 11 p.m..

The New Orleans Giant Puppet Festival website includes the full schedule and pre-sale and festival package ticket links. Advance tickets may be purchased or  cash only at the door of each venue at a rate of $10 to $20 sliding scale at the door for adults and $5 to $10 suggested for children under 12. An all-access pass may be purchased for $100 For more information, visit here.