Poughkeepsie, NY: The Arts Mid-Hudson Folk Arts Program and Paper Heart Puppets bring the first Hudson Valley Puppet Festival to the area from March 1 until April 27, 2024. The Festival will feature several events in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties.

The Festival opens March 1 with “The Art of the Puppet” an exhibit of award-winning puppets from Clarissa Lega the designer and producer of Wood & Strings Puppet Theater, at the Poughkeepsie Public Library, 93 Market Street, in the Ground Level exhibit cases. There will be a reception on Thursday, March 21, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Charwat Room at the library. We will be celebrating the exhibit and World Puppetry Day.

On Saturday, March 23, 2024 (11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.), the Newburgh Free Library will host “Pirate Song” by Up in Arms Theater. This family-friendly show will take place in the BOE auditorium at the library, 124 Grand Street Newburgh, NY 12550. Main Phone: (845) 563-3600 for more information. 

The month of April features “Guiding by Hand”, artistic interpretations of puppets at The Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory (8 N Cherry St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601) with a reception and Q&A about puppetry on April 13th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The festival's closing event is “A Day of International Puppetry” on April 27th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cornell Creative located at 129 Cornell Street, Kingston, NY 12401. This family-friendly event will feature puppet theaters from around the region in sharing their puppets, explanations of puppet mechanics, as well as make-and-take activities for all. It is part of the celebrations for the National Day of Puppetry.

The Hudson Valley Puppet Festival 2024 is partially funded by a grant from the Robert R. Chapman Fund of the Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley. 

Brad Shur is the founder and lead artist of Paper Heart Puppets, based in Poughkeepsie, New York. For over twenty years, Brad has been creating and touring original puppetry productions that combine ancient traditions with innovative ways of connecting with audiences using puppets of all sizes, materials, and disciplines.

WOOD & STRINGS THEATRE, founded and directed by Clarissa Lega and Leon Fuller, produced original works involving nationally renowned writers, directors, puppeteers, and musicians. The company operated for 34 years with four puppeteers, five productions, and a host of astounding puppets. 

Up In Arms prides itself on presenting quality shows in a fun, family musical style. They create engaging soundscapes with professional voice actors in the studio and perform our shows with professional puppeteers. Whether for schools, a theater presentation, a library show, events, or festivals, an Up In Arms story is one that audiences will never forget. 

Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory is a historic factory building located at Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York. It was built in 1874 and is a eight-bay brick building. It was expanded about 1887.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is now a multi-use building with residential apartments, a community kitchen, a coffee house space, artist studios, and a print studio. 

The Poughkeepsie Public Library District offers the community diverse services and programs resulting in an informed and educated public and will promote lifelong learning, literacy, and reading.

Since 1852, Newburgh Free Library has provided library resources that enhance our residents’ quality of life. We offer lifelong learning opportunities for all ages. The library is an active community and economic development institution that addresses key issues such as literacy, job information, early childhood education, and community vitality.

Cornell Creative Arts Center (CCAC) strives to make sure that every person is supported, encouraged, empowered, and accepted into an environment where they are provided with rich opportunities to learn and grow their artistic talents. CCAC promotes exhibitions and educational programming that offer classes, workshops, gallery exhibitions, and community event space for people of any age. Our facility includes a ceramic/sculpture studio, dance/movement studio, gallery exhibition space, painting /mixed media studio, rehearsal halls for music, and creative writing, and a digital arts-media studio.