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. The visiting artists also enjoy time to relax and network together as they are treated to quintessential Maine experiences such as a lobster bake next to the iconic Portland Headlight lighthouse and a ride on a sunset ferry ride on Casco Bay.

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!

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.

In 2024, PiP events took place at venues across Portland, Maine:

• Mayo Street Arts

• The Cedars

• Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine

• Congress Square Park

• Glickman Family Library

• John Ford Auditorium

• Maine College of Art & Design

To see all of the 2024 locations on one map click here.

Tickets to 2026 events are not currently available for purchase.

We anticipate tickets and ticket bundles going on sale in July 2026.

***

Tickets are available online until one hour before the performance.

Tickets are also available at the box office 30 minutes prior to the performance for a $3 door charge, pending availability.

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!

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.

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.

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 our ticketing platform.

All of the venues for PiP 2024 were 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.

• Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine maintains an extensive list of the ways in which they provide accessibility accommodations for their patrons. Click here to visit CMTM’s website.

• 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.

• Glickman Family Library, located on the University of Southern Maine's Portland campus, is fully ADA compliant. Click here for a PDF map of the campus.

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

Mayo Street Arts is committed to making our programming accessible.

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