Puppets in Portland (PiP) is a biennial, city-wide international festival of puppetry produced by Mayo Street Arts in Portland, Maine, USA. PiP presents exceptional puppetry to our community and bolsters Portland’s image as a cultural destination.

Over 10 days, we blanket the peninsula, collaborating with community partners to present 8+ shows in 5+ venues, hands-on workshops, and a free parade through our Kennedy Park neighborhood.

Behind the scenes, we create opportunities for local puppeteers to learn from the world-class Puppets in Portland performers and gain inspiration for their own performances. Festival artists also enjoy time relaxing and networking together while enjoying quintessential Maine experiences on Casco Bay.

  • PiP is produced by Mayo Street Arts!

    Mayo Street Arts (MSA) is a welcoming community arts center in the heart of East Bayside’s Kennedy Park: the most densely populated, ethnically and culturally diverse square mile in Maine.

    Our building serves as a performance venue, gallery, and gathering space, and offers affordable studios and rehearsal space for artists. Our programming embraces variety, with a particular focus on puppetry and folk music and dance.

    As Maine’s de facto puppet hub, Mayo Street Arts educates about and celebrate the unique heritage of world puppetry. Our seat-to-stage model of engagement includes monthly puppet shows, a Puppeteers’ Happy Hour affinity group, hands-on workshops with visiting artists, and low-barrier performance opportunities at our semi-annual King Friday’s Dungeon Puppet Slam.

    As a creative home for immigrant artists who have arrived in Portland from across the globe, inviting visitors from away for an international puppetry festival is a natural extension of MSA's mission and expertise. Moreover, PiP is a natural evolution of our commitment to supporting and sharing puppetry in all of its wondrous forms.

    For more information, please visit mayostreetarts.org.

  • Puppetry is a cultural universal, found in every single country around the world. Since the dawn of time, humans have imbued objects with life to tell stories, perform rituals, and evoke powers larger than ourselves. The form enables performers to create magical moments of transformation and spectacle.

    It's not just for kids, either! Puppetry’s inherent visual metaphors and level of abstraction can serve as a vehicle for political satire or make it easier to explore sensitive subjects.

    The question you should really ask yourself is, "Why NOT puppets?!"

  • PiP 2026 events will take place at venues across Portland, Maine, USA:

    • Mayo Street Arts

    • The Apohadion Theater

    • Congress Square Park

    • Deering Oaks Park Bandstand

    • John Ford Auditorium

    • Portland Museum of Art

    • Portland Public Library

    • SPACE Gallery

  • Puppets in Portland will return for our 3rd biennial festival from September 18-27, 2026.

    PiP 2026 will be a world party of contemporary and traditional puppetry performances, professional development opportunities for local and regional puppeteers, teaching workshops, and impromptu gatherings in Portland.

    Follow us on Instagram & Facebook to hear about artist announcements, special events, ticket specials & more!

  • Puppets in Portland tickets are available through PortTIX, the trusted box office for Mayo Street Arts!

    Advanced ticket sales end two hours before each event.

    Tickets may also be purchased at the door, pending availability.

  • No, thank you for asking!

    One of the amazing things about the puppet arts is the myriad ways in which they are used by artists tackling every subject imaginable. The PiP Festival is proud to offer a diverse sampling of all there is to offer.

    • Family friendly events are tagged All Ages.

    • Age Recommendations are suggestions left up to the parent or guardian's discretion.

    • Age Restrictions are enforced by box office staff.

    For more detailed information, please email us at pip@mayostreetarts.org.

  • Volunteers help us out with general needs (postering, artist transportation, etc.) and at specific events (parade puppeteers, box office & concessions).

    All event volunteers receive free admission to the event at which they volunteer. Other volunteers receive admission to events based on the amount of time donated.

    Click here for the volunteer sign-up form!

  • No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

    Contact us at (207) 879-4629 or pip@mayostreetarts.org for information on our sliding scale admission policy.

  • Mayo Street Arts has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that we are forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via PortTIX.

  • All of the venues for PiP 2026 are wheelchair accessible:

    • Mayo Street Arts has an ADA compliant lift up to the main hall for performances, workshop space, concessions, and restrooms. Parking is available on the street with sidewalk cutouts at the top and bottom of the hill.

    • The Apohadion Theater has an ADA compliant wheelchair ramp and restrooms.

    • Congress Square Park is accessible from two locations: via Congress Street bordering the park’s performance stage and the outside wall of 593 Congress Street onto a ramp which leads to the lower part of the park; and from High Street between the park which leads into the lower part of the park.

    • Deering Oaks Park has paved, ADA compliant paths, usually 4+ feet wide with a grade of 5% or less. There are six dedicated ADA parking spaces in the Deering Avenue parking lot.

    • John Ford Auditorium is located inside Portland High School and is fully accessible. The entrance to the John Ford Auditorium is on Chestnut Street, between Cumberland Avenue and Congress Street. Accessible parking is available close to the entrance of John Ford Auditorium for those with ADA placards will be directed to designated parking spots by PiP volunteers. Curbside drop-off is available from Chestnut Street, PiP volunteers will be present to direct guests to the entrance of the auditorium.

    • The Portland Museum of Art is fully barrier-free. It provides accessible entrances on the High Street side, wheelchair-friendly elevators/lifts connecting all galleries, and accessible restrooms. Visitors can also take advantage of accessible parking and drop-off zones directly in front of the building on Free Street.

    • The Rines Auditorium, located in the basement of the Downtown Portland Public Library, is wheelchair accessible via the main library elevators. Accessible seating is available within the auditorium space and all-gender, ADA-compliant restrooms are located on the same floor.

    • SPACE Gallery’s venue and restrooms are ADA compliant.

  • Mayo Street Arts is committed to making our programming accessible.

    Please email us at pip@mayostreetarts.org with any specific requests you may have.

  • Artists are invited for the full week to perform multiple shows and teach a workshop. While here, you’ll also have time to enjoy performances by fellow puppeteers from around the globe, a lobster feed off the Maine coast, and all that Portland has to offer!

    We are no longer accepting artists for PiP 2026. Applications for PiP 2028 will open in October 2026.