Almonte puppet up! Festival returns after 6 years

Puppets return to the streets of Almonte this weekend. No one is happier than Noreen Young. Hang out in her basement forever. 

She is now 80, an Almonte-based puppeteer best known for her work on classic Canadian TV shows. Hello Diddle Day and Under the Umbrella TreeYoung, a member of the Order of Canada, founded Puppets Up in town. 

But after more than a decade of entertaining the townspeople of Almonte with summer weekend performances by puppet troupes from around the world, the annual festival 2016 came to a quiet end, plagued by financial troubles. 

"The board was personally responsible for the shortfall, so I was a little afraid of the financial side of things," Young said in an interview. I reminisced. “It was a great year, so it seemed like a good time to close. Add to that the fatigue of the volunteers, and all the things a festival encounters when volunteers run something.

Fast forward to the pandemic. In the midst of the slump brought on by isolation and lockdown, former Mississippi Mills Councilor Jane Torrance recalled the good times the puppets brought. 

"As a community, I felt sorry for the lack of smiles around me, so I asked myself, 'When was the happiest person in my community?' 'My mind immediately went to Puppets Up,' she said. "It's so magical to walk down the street and see [the puppeteer] behind the screen and the smile in front. I was like, 'I wish I could have Puppets Up when we're out of the pandemic.' 'I thought.'

She pitched the idea to Young, who placed an ad in the local newspaper to gauge interest. Over 70 people attended and were eager to help organize. With Torrance leading as her executive director and Young resuming her duties as artistic director, they hit it off, aided by support from the town.  

Because she is the "Puppet Queen", it was important to recreate the festival around Young. "She's a puppet master and can move people. When she asks you something, she always says yes, so you say yes. She's very graceful and humble." We all want to be Noreen when we grow up." 

Successful grant application and progress This time around, the fundraising was also done. Participate as a corporate sponsor. Homebuilder Neil Cope Homes signed on as his sponsor of the title, and other local businesses rallied to sponsor each of her five stages of the festival. Tickets are also selling well. 

As for this weekend's line-up, Young is her old protégé, who is bringing streamlined new shows (adults) developed during the pandemic. Landed Ronnie Burkett to record the coup. Designed to fit in the trunk of a car, Looney Bin uses hand puppets instead of puppets. Friday's one-night-only show is already sold out. Frogtown Mountain PuppeteersVancouver-based Indonesian puppeteer Sutrisno HartanaMaster of Javanese gamelan music and wayang (shadow) puppetry, Brooklyn, NY Ambassador of Joy ,Joshua Holden and his sock puppet Mr. Nicholas,Bernd Ogrodnik, puppeteer of the Icelandic National Theatre. 

Also with stunt ventriloquist Tim Holland, indigenous puppeteerDerrick Starlightand Montreal-based Pavla Mano. Festival favorites such as the Chava Radley duo also make appearances.

The highlight of the festival is always the parade, where Almonte residents take their puppet look-alikes out for a walk, joined by performers and other guests. Over the years, Young has created dozens of mini-versions of the townspeople on a commission basis. Among them is a new one for Torrance that depicts her in a kilt to reflect her bagpipe-playing Scottish roots. This year's parade will start around 1:45pm. Saturday and Sunday. 

The festival starts on Friday and runs along the Sunday for a few blocks. It will be held up to downtown Almonte.  there are two main his entrances. McCallum Street and Old Town Hall approaching the Ottawa Valley Rail Trail. Parking at the fairgrounds is free. 

Tickets are required for the show, but there is no charge to check out the site. On Fridays and Saturdays, the food court, marketplace and kids' craft tents are open. 

For more information and to purchase a ticket or pass, visitpuppetsup.com 

lsaxberg. Please @postmedia.com

1. The mayor has a new persona for Puppets Up. Fiesta (2014)

2. During the eleventh year of the Fiesta, puppets bring Almonte to life over the weekend. Dominate (2015)

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