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Aretta Baumgartner<\/strong>, Education Director at the Center for Puppetry Arts <\/a>and a lifelong (P of A\u00a0 festival attendee), sent us her thoughts on the Southeast Regional Festival, AKA “Southeast Puppet Jamboree.” Enjoy!<\/p>\n ARETTA:<\/strong> “WOW!\u00a0 What a fabulous time we had at the Southeast Puppet Jamboree this past weekend at Unicoi State Park & Lodge in Helen, GA!<\/p>\n The festival featured ten performances (by the Columbia Marionette Theatre<\/a>, Grey Seal Puppets<\/a>, Hobey Ford\u2019s Golden Rod Puppets<\/a>, Lee Bryan\/That Puppet Guy<\/a>, Parasol Puppets<\/a>, Piccadilly Puppets<\/a>, Red Herring Puppets<\/a>, Scott Land Marionettes<\/a>, Tanglewood Puppets<\/a>, and Toy Box Theater\/Cripps Puppets<\/a>); 12 workshops (on topics ranging from Consciousness & Creativity to Busking to Foam Book Puppets to Creative Puppet Play Development\u2014full list on fest website: http:\/\/www.puppetjamboree.org\/<\/a> Being a former\/long-time Great Lakes Region<\/a> member (and proud of it), I was missin\u2019 that region\u2019s wonderful autumnal 30-year tradition, a great informal puppetry retreat we lovingly called (call) the \u201cPuppet Potlatch\u201d (also at a state park; that one in Angola, Indiana).\u00a0 The setting allows for hikes in the woods, journaling by the lake, sketching under the stars\u2014time to absorb and apply the inspiration received by the puppeteers and their work\/play.\u00a0 The schedule allows for plenty of down time.\u00a0 In the Native American tradition of potlatch sharing, attendees volunteer their time to share talents, shows, workshops, wisdom and resources.\u00a0 Because all the programming is voluntarily contributed, the price tag for this Potlatch is always affordable\u2014about $30 for the weekend\u2019s activities (that\u2019s registration; lodging and meals extra).\u00a0 This makes it accessible and laid-back and means an atmosphere of true community and support.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s exactly how I\u2019d describe the Southeast Puppet Jamboree\u2014my itch was scratched!\u00a0 It was\/is the perfect \u201cfoil\u201d to a national festival.\u00a0 Makes me look forward to next summer\u2019s National Puppetry Festival in CT<\/a> even more because that will check boxes for a more programmed, structured, formal, jam-packed puppetry event.\u00a0\u00a0 I am so lucky to have both types of puppetry events to share and celebrate this art\/craft that I hold so dear.<\/p>\n Yea for the SE Puppet Jamboree.\u00a0 Yea for Madison J. Cripps and his new Swazzle<\/a>, walks in the woods, Lyon Hill\u2019s old man on the bench, puppet juice, confetti cannons and water guns, Conni\u2019s emcee costumes, Johnson\u2019s Downda Earth Caf\u00e9 and Bakery, the Lands and the Allens traveling so far to join our puppet shenanigans, hanging out on the back porch, and the memories and moments too many to mention here.<\/p>\n