Looking for the ultimate summer daytrip? Look no further than Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival in beautiful downtown Almonte on August 8 and 9!

Imagine 13 world-class troupes bringing 70 spectacular puppet shows to life across six and a half vibrant theatres. It’s a weekend packed with laughs, wonder, and unforgettable memories for the whole family. Fun for all ages, at a price that makes it the easiest decision you’ll make all summer.

From as far away as Spain and as close as Carp, Almonte will host all the joy and wonder that one town can hold! You can purchase a festival pass at TicketsPlease.ca and have unlimited admission to all theatres, watch as many shows as you want, and enjoy the special interactions and free events. The 2026 lineup is amazing and includes:

If a limited pass is more in line with your schedule, a $5 pass available at the gate gives you access to wonderful children’s programming. This includes the Garden for Little Souls with Elizabeth Payant (Montreal, QC), Boxtopia with the Department of Illumination (Kingston, ON), and the Kids Craft Tent with JB Arts (Almonte, ON).

If free is more your style, there will be plenty of street entertainment, including Bobby Knauf and Andre the Alien, Zip-E the Clown (Adam Zimmerman), The Raccoon King (Nick diGaetano), The Balcony Puppeteers (Cory Tibits, Zach Brown, Mary O’Reilly), and roving performances by Liam Prince, Joey Graff & Emily Neufeld, and more. Don’t miss the spectacle of the Daily Parade at 1:45pm, or the specially curated vendors in the Marketplace.

The evening performances are also going to be amazing! Individual tickets are available at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434) for both Friday night’s Eldritch Theatre presents Macbeth: A Tale Told by an Idiot (ages 13+) and the festival favourite, Saturday night’s Felt Up: An After-Hours Cabaret hosted by Joshua Holden (18+).

If that is not enough, you may want to take in a Friday morning workshop: It’s Alive! Intro to Hand & Rod Puppetry with Joshua Holden. Joshua is an Emmy-nominated Broadway artist and puppeteer with experience at The Jim Henson Company, on Broadway, and on television. He is a bit of a star, and we are really lucky to get him!

Watch for updates at PuppetsUp.com or subscribe to our newsletter to conveniently get the updates delivered to your inbox! We also have room for a few more volunteers, if you are interested in joining a team of 200 puppet-crazy volunt-heroes.

We can’t wait to welcome the puppets and all their pals!