Between 2008 and 2016, the Nashville International Puppet Festival brought to Nashville puppeteers from all over the world. Performances showcased the wide variety of puppetry arts, from marionettes, shadow puppets, hand puppets, Punch and Judy shows, and more.
In June 2008, the Nashville Public Library created Nashville’s first Nashville International Puppet Festival. Renowned puppet troupes from Italy, France, Germany and China joined some of the most talented puppetry artists in the nation. Over the three days of performances and workshops, the puppeteers dazzled more than 15,000 children and adults.
In May of 2011, Nashville Public Library brought back a more scaled-down version of its first festival: Nashville’s Downtown Puppet Festival. The free three-day festival focused on local and regional troupes, highlighting the library’s own in-house puppet troupe Wishing Chair Productions.
In June of 2013 the Nashville International Puppet Festival enjoyed a huge growth spurt, adding a parade that wound through downtown Nashville and included a beautiful Story Time float, a half-dozen 20′ tall puppets, a Chinese dragon, and Mayor Dean as the Grand Marshal. The festival also featured Emmy award-winning puppeteer Phillip Huber, famous puppet troupes from Japan, Argentina, Germany, China, and France, and a new production by Brian Hull and Wishing Chair Productions, String City. Church Street Park was bursting with activity and featured European buskers, face painters, a kids’ music stage and popular food trucks.
The 2016 Puppet Festival featured 14 troupes from six countries: USA, Argentina, Russia, Belgium, Japan, and Italy. Visitors enjoyed a European-style street festival in the Library courtyard with uni-cyclists, jugglers, stilt walkers, face painters, and balloon artists. Musical performances were offered throughout the festival by Mr. Steve the Music Man, Coaltrain Railroad, Rachel Sumner, and The WannaBeatles.
