The Uplifting Puppet Festival returns June 1–13, 2026, with this year’s theme: “Out of This World.” Organized by Brant Bollman and featuring the return of Minneapolis-based artist Piper Smith, this year’s festival expands into two weeks of community artmaking experiences culminating in two giant puppet parades in downtown Oskaloosa.
“This year we wanted to go even bigger and stranger,” said Bollman. “We’re creating an immersive extraterrestrial experience filled with glowing puppets, interactive performance, music, movement, and community participation.”
The first Uplifting Puppet Parade takes place Friday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. following the Friday After Five concert on the Oskaloosa square featuring rock band Wicked Ways. The nighttime lantern parade will transform downtown into an interactive glowing spectacle featuring illuminated giant puppets, dancing creatures, a UFO landing, and an alien puppet encounter inspired by science fiction, folk art, and community-built performance traditions from around the world.
The second parade experience takes place Saturday, June 13 at 2:00 p.m. during Art on the Square, presented by Oskaloosa Main Street. This daytime puppet march gives audiences a chance to see the giant puppets in the light of day as they parade around the downtown square. Community members are encouraged to bring puppets, costumes, masks, or noise makers and join the procession.
Want to make a puppet? The Uplifting Puppet Festival includes numerous hands-on workshops and community artmaking opportunities for all ages throughout the festival period. Public puppetmaking events will be hosted at Studio Osky, the FACE Oskaloosa Art Center, and on the downtown square.
The festival also partners with the George Daily Youth Theatre for a special youth workshop experience:
Glow-in-the-Dark-Sky Puppet Festival
June 3–5, 2026
Half-Week Camp • 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
K–12th Grade • $50
“Wonder. Glimmer. Glow.”
Led by GDYT Teaching Artist and Uplifting Puppet Company founder Brant Bollman, students will create illuminated lantern puppets inspired by puppet traditions from cultures around the world. Camp participants will explore designing, building, painting, movement, and storytelling while creating glowing creatures and characters of the night.
The camp emphasizes the George Daily Youth Theatre’s hands-on, game-based approach to creative learning.
“Here’s the thing about theatre camp at the George Daily Youth Theatre — it doesn’t always look like memorizing lines and standing on stage,” organizers explain. “Every week, theatre camps nurture Thinkers, Makers, Performers, and Leaders through imaginative, hands-on creative experiences.”
Participants and families are invited to join the Friday night lantern parade on June 12, though parade participation is optional.
Recommended for students who enjoy:
- Designing and building
- Painting and crafting
- Writing Sci-Fi stories
- Silly dancing aliens
- Creative movement and performance
