HOT (Heart of Texas) Puppet Festival

October 2-3, 2026

You are invited to The Heart of Texas HOT Puppet Festival

Please join this artistically enriching and memorable experience for everyone with an interest in puppetry. Perfect for educators, librarians, artists, therapists, actors, clowns, ventriloquists, families, students, seniors, and all puppetry enthusiasts.

Performances • Workshops • Parties • Puppet Store • Raffle • Exhibits

See festival details and updates at www.hotpuppets.org.

• Read about the Festival Performances
• Download the event postcard here (PDF)

Educators, teachers, librarians can earn a certificate for continued educational hours. 8 hours are offered for Saturday daytime-only registration. 10 hours are offered for full festival registration.

HOT Puppet Festival Schedule:

Friday, October 2

5:30 pm – 6:45 pm – Welcome reception with drinks and appetizers @ Puppet Pizzazz House

6:45 pm – Guests led by Giant puppets to Sabine Street Studios, located one block from Puppet Pizzazz House.

7:00 pm –7:45 pm- Puppet Show @ Sabine Street Studios – “Word Play” presented by Good Hearted Entertainment, Honey Goodenough and Bethany Harbaugh

7:45 pm –10:00 pm @ Puppet Pizzazz House- Party including food, puppetry entertainment, and puppet show- Cardboard Penny Arcade performed by lo-fi Puppets + stuff, Greg Cote and Alli Villines, and party animation provided by Greg Ruhe, Puppet Pizzazz

Saturday, October 3

Easy parking, morning coffee, light Breakfast, a box lunch, all day water supply, three workshop sessions, two puppet shows, puppetry store, puppet exhibit and a rocking puppet party at the Puppet Pizzazz House.

(All workshops and daytime puppet shows are to be held in Sabine Street Studios.)

9:00 am –10:00 am - Registration, Light Breakfast, First Workshops Set up and Shopping (Puppet Store open 9:00 am to 5:30 pm)

10:00 am – 11:00 am - First Workshop Session (Select one of the following three workshops)

1. Puppetry in the Classroom with Edna Bland, Puppeteers of America President
2. No newspaper rod puppet make and take with Sarah Nolen, Puppet in Motion
3. Amazing Sock Puppets with Jean Pirtle, Pirtle’s Puppets

11:15 am - 12:15 am -Puppet Show Bumper Crop presented by Hand to Mouth, Ellen Scott and Robbie Leuth

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm – Lunch and Shopping

1:15 pm -2:15 pm – Second workshop session (Select one of the three workshops.)

1. Finding your puppet Voice with Devona Carpenter, Carpenter Creatives
2. Cardboard puppets make and take with Greg Cote and Alli Villines, lo-fi puppets + stuff
3. Capture the imagination with Puppetry with Jean Kuecher, Marionette Playhouse

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Third Workshop Session (Select one of the three workshops.)

1. Puppetry in the Classroom with Edna Bland, Puppeteers of America President
2. Dollar Store Tube Puppets make and take with Jean Pirtle, Pirtle’s Puppets
3. Jumping Jacks make and take with Honey Goodenough, Good Hearted Entertainment

3:45 pm – 4:45 pm – “Judy Saves the Day” presented by Puppet Motion, Sarah Nolen

Raffle drawling following the performance. Prizes are assorted puppetry treasures.

4:45 pm – 5:30 pm- Puppet Store, Exhibit @ Puppet Pizzazz House

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm- Participant free time, all are welcome to tour Sawyer yards, walk through the Houston historic first ward, stroll a trail with a panoramic view of Houston Downtown, or relax at the Puppet Pizzazz House

7:00 pm – 11:00 pm- Party @ Puppet Pizzazz House, with super, drinks, back yard puppetry performances, and a performer talk-back.