San Francisco Bay Area Puppeteers Guild

05/26/2026

A fun puppet making project to accompany my serialized novel, The Last Grizzly Bear. Text, audio and projects are at https://magicalmoonshinestories.substack.com/ - Projects at https://magicalmoonshinestories.substack.com/s/creative-projects-for-home-and-classroom

04/16/2026

Help Us Celebrate Folkmanis Puppets 50th Anniversary!
https://www.signupgenius.com/.../20F0A44ACAE2AA7F49...
When: Sat., April 18, 2-4:30
Where: Children’s Creativity Museum, 221 4th St., S.F.
• 2 pm - Free admission to the Museum at 2 pm if you signup on Fri., 4/17 by 6 pm . Folkmanis has an impressive display on the Spiral Staircase.
• 3 pm - at the Co-Lab - Meet & Greet
• 3:15 - Brief Guild meeting
• 3:30 - World Premiere of the 3-minute video “50 Years of Fun” showing Folkmanis puppets through the decades, sponsored in part by the SFBAPG with Guild volunteer talent and crew.
• Presentation of the President’s Award to Folkmanis Puppets for Outstanding Contributions to the Puppetry Arts.
• “The World of Folkmanis” + Q&A - by Allison Sieber, Folkmanis Art Director
• Anniversary Celebration with light refreshments
Note: If you’d like to bring a family member or guest to the museum, please add their name in the signup comment section. If you’d like to enter at a different time, or don’t register you can pay and get a badge. You don’t need to register for the reception as it’s in the Co-Lab, a separate area of the museum, however it’s helpful for giving us a head count for refreshments.

04/09/2026

This Sunday! Puppet Workshop at the Planetarium in Richmond, CA.

Puppetry at the Planetarium, Richmond CA, April 12, 2-4:30
Bring your puppet to life with award-winning puppeteer Lee Armstrong in this fun, hands-on workshop! Learn 4 essential performance skills, explore character development, and get tips for stage, audience interaction—and even puppets as spokespeople for social media using your phone. Perfect for puppeteers, actors, teachers, librarians, youth leaders & creative teens (13+). More info & reserve your spot:
https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/ragtagshows/bring-a-puppet-to-life-for-stage-social-media

04/02/2026

Mary H. Nagler, who who contributed many years in support of our puppet guild, is planning to go to Iceland to complete her training in the tradition of hand-carved puppets. She has vast puppet building skills and gives generously of her time and talents to the puppet community. Please read her Go Fund Me and help support her in this venture.

Hello Friends! My name is Mary Hildebrand Nagler and I am an Artist Puppeteer… Mary Nagler needs your support for Support Mary’s Puppetry Adventure in Iceland

03/21/2026

Happy World Puppetry Day from the San Francisco Bay Area Puppeteers Guild! 🎭

Today we celebrate the art of bringing the inanimate to life! We celebrate the stories, the messages, the laughter, and the shared moments of community that make it all worthwhile. From hand puppets to marionettes, shadow play to larger-than-life creations, puppetry reminds us that imagination has no limits.

To our fellow puppeteers, artists, and dreamers: thank you for keeping this beautiful art form alive and thriving. And to our audiences—thank you for believing in the magic.

Here’s to many more such shared moments captured one string, stitch, and story at a time. ❤️💙💛

02/24/2026

02/24/2026

A good time was had by all this weekend at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum for our annual Holiday Party celebrating all things puppetry 🎉 Not only was there a show, there were also wonderful raffle prizes and auction items, the guild library and several exhibit puppets on display 👀 Big thanks to for leading the “Forbidden Puppet Cabaret” puppet slam and to all the performers in the show 🎭 and participants in the Puppetathlon. 🥇 🥈 🥉 Congratulations to the winning team 🎉And a special thank you to everyone behind the scenes. We couldn’t have done it without all the volunteers who set up, manned tables, brought food, ran cables, and helped clean up afterwards. We look forward to all th activity this year will bring. It was lovely kicking it off with you

02/07/2026

Next Forbidden Puppet Cabaret, Sunday, Feb. 22 at Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum
PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT: BRIAN NARELLE
In addition to his film acting, writing, and cartooning, Brian has decades of under-the-puppet work, live and in film and television. Check out the puppet section of his website: https://www.narellecartoons.com/puppeteering
As a favorite Forbidden Puppet Cabaret performer, Brian and canine poet Warren Peace offer great wisdom and poetry from a dogs perspective. It's both funny and deeply moving.
Get your tickets (and more info) before we sell out at https://forbiddenpuppet.ticketspice.com/forbidden-puppet-cabaret-at-the-museum

09/27/2025

Day of Puppetry Oct 5th
Sun., Oct 5 10-3:30
Sonoma Community Center
Spend a day building a quality “Muppet-style” practice puppet, then bring it to life in this “Puppet Building & Performance” workshop led by Lee Armstrong, regional Emmy® Award-winning puppeteer and co-owner of Images in Motion Inc.. Register at

Build your own “Muppet-style” puppet, learn performance basics, and bring your creation to life in this fun, hands-on workshop!