16th Annual Community Theater Workshops begin Mon, Aug 4, 2025! TWO Public Performances: Friday 8/15/25 @ NYM Corn Feed Saturday 8/16/25 @ Finn Creek Fest
The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish national epic poem, the Kalevala, written and narrated by Creative Director Anne Sawyer, and performed by youth and community members from the New York Mills region. This annual community theater program brings people together to learn a wide variety of artistic skills including acting and stilt-walking, plus learn about Finnish culture and heritage, and make connections with fellow community members and artists. Daily workshops for participants begin on Monday, August 4, 2025; details below. In 2025, there will be two public performances of the Kalevala Puppet Pageant, The Horrible Hiidet:- Friday, August 15 @ 7pm @ NYM VFW Post 3289 during NYM Civic & Commerce Corn Feed
- Saturday, August 16 @ 12pm @ Finn Creek Open Air Museum during Finn Creek Festival
2025 Raffle Fundraiser
WIN a BRAND NEW BIKE & more!
New in 2025, and thanks to our neighbor, County Cycle, we are raffling off a BRAND NEW BIKE to help raise money to support the Puppet Pageant and other Cultural Center programs! In addition to the GRAND PRIZE of a brand new bike (est value $1,000), 2nd Prize is a Finnish Basket (est value $100), and 3rd Prize is a $25 Gift Certificate to the Cultural Center Gallery & Gift Store. Raffle will be drawn on Friday, August 15, 2025, at 7PM, at the Community Corn Feed and Kalevala Puppet Pageant performance at the NYM VFW. Tickets are just $5 each, and you need NOT be present to win. Get tickets at the Cultural Center, or call 218-385-3339 to purchase over the phone. Thanks for your support!Sponsorship Support
Big thanks to these generous 2025 Puppet Pageant Sponsors!
- Minnesota State Arts Board - Cultural Expressions Grant
- New York Mills Civic & Commerce Association
- Rachel & Larry Grieger
- Goose Gang
- Mills Country Market
- Farmers & Merchants Agency in New York Mills - call Randy Peterson at 218-385-4800
- Centennial Realty
- Theisen Design Studios
- Farmers & Merchants State Bank
- New York Mills Dispatch
- Whistle Stop Bed & Breakfast
- Perham Printing
- County Cycle
Be Part of the Show!
Our volunteers make the world go round.
Want to join the fun? Volunteers are ALWAYS welcome, and there are many ways to get involved!- Like working with kids? Guide children during our morning workshops! (Weekdays 9am-12pm, Aug 4-15)
- Need a creative outlet? Join us at evening workshops to help create puppets and props! (See dates below)
- Love to sew? Create or repair costumes on your own time! (Contact info@kulcher.org or 218-385-3339)
- Have a big vehicle? Help us pack & move puppets & props from the Barn to the VFW! (Wed Aug 13 @ noon)
- Want to donate some stuff? Let's turn your trash into treasure! (See wish list below)
- Maybe a donation is more your thing? Monetary donations are necessary to help keep costs low for participants. (Donation links below)
Big thanks to ALL the community members who help make this event happen, especially ALL the awesome parents, and our gracious event space partners: City of NYM (The Barn/Sculpture Park -- workshop location), NYM VFW (Friday performance), and Finn Creek Museum (Saturday performance).
Ready to sign up? Simply complete the registration form below and select "Volunteer." Thank you!Seeking sponsors to support this community experience!
Local support from businesses, organizations, and individual sponsors/donors helps bring this community theater project to life! All supporters will be acknowledged on our website (with logo and link, if provided), at the performances, and on any printed marketing materials (pending print timing). Click below to sign up as a sponsor online, or contact betsy@kulcher.org or 218-385-3339. Click here to sponsor summer events! >Supplies Wish List:
More items may be added -- please check back!- Yogurt or cottage cheese containers with lids
- Brown paper grocery bags
- Clean single-ply cardboard e.g. cereal boxes (large)
- Big sheets of cardboard (corrugated)
- Bubble wrap
- Balloons
- Paper towels
- Craft doo-dads such as pipe cleaners, pom-poms, buttons, etc.
- Wooden lathe for puppet sticks (30 sticks)
- Duct tape, clear packing tape, masking tape
- Acrylic paint (red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, white, black)
- Water-based house paint (no oil-base, please)
- Solid cotton fabric: medium-dark brown and yellow
- Elastic
Support the Puppet Pageant Financially!
Provide a scholarship to a child for just $50; $100 buys 3 gallons of acrylic paint; or cover the actual cost for 1 child to participate for $300. ALL donations are welcome!
Click below, stop by during our Summer Open Hours (Tues 10-5, Wed-Thurs 10-7, Fri 10-5, Sat 10-3), or send us a check (PO Box 246, NYMills, MN 56567). All donors will be recognized in our performance program (unless requested otherwise). THANK YOU for supporting this interactive & engaging creative community experience!
Donate to support the 2025 Puppet Pageant >
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
WORKSHOPS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS:
Located @ The Barn, NYM Sculpture Park (unless otherwise noted below)
- August 4-8 (Mon-Fri) 9am-12pm: Daily Morning Workshops
- August 11-14 (Mon-Thurs) 9am-12pm: Daily Morning Workshops
- Thurs. location TBD – may be VFW
- August 13 (Wed) @ NOON: Transport all puppets, props, supplies etc. from Barn to VFW — parent & volunteer assistance requested!
- August 13 (Wed) 6-8pm *EVENING REHEARSAL* @ VFW
- August 14 (Thurs) 6-8pm *DRESS REHEARSAL* @ VFW
- August 15 (Fri) 5:30pm *CALL FOR PERFORMERS* @ VFW (performance @ 7pm)
- August 16 (Sat) 10:30am *CALL FOR PERFORMERS* @ Finn Creek (performance @ 12pm)
PUPPETS & PROPS BUILDING EVENING WORKSHOPS -- OPEN TO ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS: **Family friendly!! All ages welcome, including adults and CHILDREN ACCOMPANIED BY ADULTS, please.
- August 4, 6 (Monday, Wednesday) 6-8pm @ The Barn
- August 11,12 (Monday, Tuesday) 6-8pm @ The Barn
- August 5 (Tuesday) 1-2:30pm @ The Barn
- August 7 (Thursday) 1-2:30pm @ The Barn
- August 12 (Tuesday) 1-2:30pm @ The Barn
- August 14 (Thursday) 1-2:30pm @ The VFW
- August 15 (Friday) at New York Mills VFW @ 7:00 p.m. in conjunction with NYM Corn Feed
- NOTE: After Performance - Load all PP items for Saturday performance
- August 16 (Saturday) at Finn Creek Museum (6 miles south of NYM) @ 12pm in conjunction with Finn Creek Festival
- Transfer all items & set up @ Finn Creek ~10am (specifics TBD)
- CALL FOR PERFORMERS @ 10:30 a.m. @ Finn Creek Open Air Museum
NOTE: We would like to have snacks for daily workshops and performances. If you would like to donate any healthy snack foods (bonus points for locally grown goodies!), we will gladly welcome them! Please email info@kulcher.org or call 218-385-3339.
Click below to register (and pay) online, or complete the registration link below and stop by the Cultural Center to pay in person if you prefer. If meeting the family max ($100) or for scholarship participants, complete the form online and stop by to pay. Open House: Wednesdays & Thursdays 10am-7pm, Fridays 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-3pm. Contact us to make other arrangements or with questions at 218-385-3339 or info@kulcher.org. Click here to register & pay online > Prefer to pay in person, or interested in a scholarship? Complete the form below to let us know you'd like to join in the fun! Questions? Call us at 218-385-3339.
This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Cultural Expressions grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Culture Heritage fund.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
