COMMUNITY PUPPET-BUILDING WORKSHOP & PUPPET PAGEANT
Since 2009, the Mansfield Downtown Partnership and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry have teamed up to provide our community with a unique artistic experience!
SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 and SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, 2026
Be a part of a unique, community experience: The Community Puppet-Building Workshops presented by the Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry and the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc.!
With the guidance of Sara Peattie of Boston’s Puppeteers Cooperative, participants will construct larger-than-life puppets during a two-day, free workshop at the Ballard Institute.
Participants are then invited to perform with their creations during the Puppet Pageant at the Celebrate Mansfield Festival.
This year’s workshop will be Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13. The performance will take place during the 23rd Annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26.
No experience is necessary to participate in these free community puppet-building workshops. Space is limited, so advance registration is strongly encouraged.
Participants can come for one or both days but should register for the 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM or/and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM time slot(s). Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
To register for the workshop, visit https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/bimp-0/2026-cmf
If you require accommodation to participate, contact the Ballard Institute at bimp@uconn.edu or 860-486-8580.
From Microscopic to Mighty: A Connecticut Underwater Adventure
Produced in collaboration with UConn’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, with live music by Waldron’s Studio 88, From Microscopic to Mighty: A Connecticut Underwater Adventure will take audiences on an underwater journey to discover how some of the tiniest living things—phytoplankton—help support an incredible web of life, from schools of fish and playful seals to magnificent turtles and whales, reminding us that every living thing has an important role in keeping our waters healthy.
Many thanks to Laura Stone Photography, Kim Bova Photography, Javaun Crane-Bonnell, Kathleen M. Paterson, and Emily Wicks for the images on this page.
