Fairyland’s “Day of Puppetry” is an annual event (except last year) filled with a variety of joyful puppet shows and activities. This day will be extra special, as this will be our first opportunity in over a year and a half to get together with puppet friends and enjoy live shows on the beautiful grounds of Fairyland. This will be a “Cautious” Puppet Fair for all of us. Fairyland is following all safety protocols and providing this shorter day event with mandatory masks to keep all visitors safe. For shows, there will be “The Leprechauns’ Gold” by The Puppet Company, “The Vaudeville Follies” by Fratello Marionettes and a display of Fairyland’s treasure trove of hand-crafted puppets.
When: Sat., Aug 28 Noon – 4 pm
Where: At Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, https://fairyland.org
For directions, public transit & parking, visit https://fairyland.org/visit-us/directions
NOTE: This will be a “Cautious” Puppet Fair for all of us. Fairyland is following all safety protocols and providing this shorter day event with mandatory masks to keep all visitors safe.
Parking
There is street parking and parking at Fairyland. If all the Fairyland spaces are full, remember that Fairyland closes at noon, so spots will open up as people leave. Please allow time for parking. If you want to attend the Guild meeting, we ask that you park between 11:40-12:10.
How to Enter For Guild Meeting starting at 12:10 pm
The entrance will be closed to the general public from 12-1 for deep cleaning. Please arrive at the main entrance between 11:40-12:10. You will not be entering through the main gate. Go to the “Shoe” sculpture by the main gate. Look for signs on the fence to the right of the shoe. These signs will take you to along the right hand side of the fence and around the curve in the fence which faces the lake. The 1st gate you arrive at is the back gate to the Storybook Theater. There will be a person (Randal Metz) at this gate to let you in. We’ll stay in the Cinderella Birthday Party area until noon, when the morning people leave. When clear, we can all go the the Merry Meadow for the meeting, or if comfortable, can just stay in the party area. We hope that everyone will be inside Fairyland by 12:15. If you miss the 12:15 deadline, from 12:16 to 12:45 you can still enter the back gate by texting Kassandra Vargas at 916-519-8350 and she’ll get the gate opened. As we may be meeting at the Birthday Party area on the other side of the back gate, you can also try calling out at the back gate and see if anyone hears you. If you arrive later than 12:45, please wait until 1pm and enter at the main gate.
How to Enter from 1-3 pm
Admission is free to Guild members. Go to the “Shoe” sculpture by the main entrance and tell a Fairyland “helper” that you’re with the Guild. They will have a roster. Guild members may bring friends who aren’t members, but if they aren’t helping, they should buy a ticket in advance online, https://fairyland.org, unless they help out or join the Guild that day. Fairyland will have an updated roster of members. If non-helping guests aren’t able to buy tickets in advance, a Fairyland “helper” can help them do an online purchase on-site.
Guild Meeting
From 12:10-12:50 – Join the Guild meet & greet (bring something to sit upon and a picnic if you’d like) at the Party Area or Merry Meadow (TBD). Around 12:30 there will be a brief Guild meeting, led by our new Guild President, John Arnold. Meet your new Board of Directors, learn about upcoming events, share programming ideas and more.
Puppet Shows
2:00 (repeat at 3:00) An Irish Tale – The Leprechauns’ Gold at the Storybook Theate
An original tale from Ireland about the care and handling of leprechauns. Three brothers want to marry Meg, but which can outsmart Wily Liam the leprechaun? Puppets and script by Randal Metz, performed by The Puppet Company.
The Puppet Company was created by Randal Metz, and has been producing imaginative family entertainment for close to 50 years. It strives to present quality children’s productions that appeal to all ages. Each tale or well known “puppet classic” is told with humor and delights the eyes with well-crafted puppets and colorful scenic effects. “Combining theater and puppetry is the key to a successful and creative production.”
Randal has been pulling the strings of the Puppet Company since the age of ten. With a B.A. Degree in Theater and Children’s Theater from San Francisco State University, he is well prepared for the vigorous job of entertaining families. After 20 years of apprenticing with Master Puppeteer Lewis Mahlmann, of Children’s Fairyland, he became partners with his “at one-time” teacher and currently produces seven different puppet shows a year for Fairyland.
2:30 (repeat at 3:30) “The Vaudeville Follies” at the Emerald Stage
This marionette variety show presented in the spirit of the old-time music hall. Our puppeteers perform in full view of the audience. Each performance is designed to engage and enthrall: an opera singer, a trapeze artist, Pierrot and his balloon, a trained dog, and featuring The Amazing Cutlarini are just a few of the acts you might see.
The Fratello Marionettes has been entertaining audiences through the art of marionettes since 1989. The company continues the tradition of classic marionette performances. All the puppets you see in The Fratello Marionettes’ repertoire are conceptualized and built by the puppeteers themselves, with painstaking attention to detail. Each marionette takes two to three months to create.
The company also collaborates with local symphony orchestras to produce unforgettable performances blending live classical music with the storytelling art of puppetry.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Fratello Marionettes has performed in locations around the world.
Volunteers Needed
Our Guild will also be helping with the festivities. Please consider signing up for a slot or two to share your love of puppetry. Each slot is 30 minutes and you won’t miss a show, as each of the two shows is repeated once.
Volunteer Positions
Puppet Greeters:
Please bring a puppet and greet families. You can walk around or pop up behind a hedge or simply find a shady bench for your puppet to welcome visitors. Looking for at least 1 puppeteer per half hour, but the more the merrier. 6 slots.
Puppet Demos
Bring a variety of puppets to demo, or your specialty (hand, marionettes, etc.) or a puppet you are making and share your talents. Table, chair and shade tent will be provided. You can do solo or ask a friend to join you. Looking for 1 puppeteer per half hour, but you can always team up with a friend. 6 slots.
Supervise the Puppet Display and Share Guild Info
Give out guild info & keep an eye on the puppet display.
Please look at the volunteer opportunities and sign up for a short shift to add your talents to this enjoyable afternoon at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44ACAE2AA7F49-volunteers
Fairyland will be hosting the Puppet Fair both Sat. and Sun. 08/28-29th. For more information, go to https://fairyland.org/events-and-performances/schedule-of-event.