A pair of performances are planned for Friday, Saturday

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The annual New York Mills Puppet Pageant will be hosting a pair of performances this year, including one at the corn feed on Friday night and an encore performance on Saturday at the Finn Creek Festival.

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center invites the public to the 16th annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant public performances on Friday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Aug. 16.

The Kalevala Puppet Pageant is a large-scale, street-theater style performance bringing to life characters and tales from the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. Each year, an original script is written by Creative Director Anne Sawyer and brought to life by community members portraying mythical Finnish creatures in a lively, narrated outdoor play.

Daily workshops, puppet-building sessions, and rehearsals have been taking place since August 4, with a creative team and cast made up of more than 20 talented locals of all ages. The pageant is produced by the Cultural Center and led by Sawyer of Minneapolis, Assistant Director Lisa Winter of Wadena, Tara Fahey of Minneapolis, Musical Directors Curtis and Loretta, an award-winning folk duo from Minneapolis, and local musician Adam Tervola Hultberg.

Audience members have two chances to experience the magic this year:

• Friday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. – NYM VFW Post 3289 (following the NYM Civic & Commerce Corn Feed 4-7 p.m.)

• Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12 p.m. – Finn Creek Open Air Museum (during Finn Creek Summer Festival)

Both performances are free, family-friendly, and open to all. Note: There is a $5/adult gate donation to enter the Finn Creek Festival on Saturday.

For more information or to donate, call the Cultural Center at 385-3339. Contributions from businesses, individuals and arts funders make this vibrant community project possible—thank you to all who support the Puppet Pageant. Free-will donations will also be collected following both free performances.

This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Learn more online at www.kulcher.org/2025-kalevala-puppet-pageant/