This weekend, a giant spectacle of (mostly) tiny creations will saunter their way onto stages around New Orleans. Puppets built on backpacks, puppets that fold up and fit into shoeboxes, red puppets, blue puppets, tiny little finger puppets, shadow puppets, three-person puppets, everything puppet possible will be on display for the public April 4-8th. Currently in it's tenth year, Giant Puppet Festival features programming not just from New Orleans, but from all across the US.
The events aren't just for kids, either. With some shows, it'll be fine to take junior along. Those shows are earlier in the night. With others, I'd advise telling the kids you're going to go watch golf or something. Then there are a ton of shows that straddle the line between wholesome and debaucherous, like Toybox theater's charming, meandering tales that encourage creativity but are strewn with cussing through and through. Cussing! Or Poose the Puppet's motivational exercising exorcism, featuring near-nudity and a lot of fart jokes. It really depends on what the family's able to handle.
For those who dabble in shadow puppets, crankies, indescribable things and the like, there's a full program available that for your perusal. I'm sure there's something for everyone children, adult children and adults alike.
Previously: The spectacular creations of Handsome Devil Puppets