There’s no need to pull any strings to get into this festival because it’s free. But you may want to pull some strings while at the festival because it’s all about celebrating a late puppet master.
More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the annual Bob Baker Day festival at the Los Angeles State Historic Park on Sunday, April 21.
“It’s an all day celebration, a sort of puppetchella,” said Mary Thompson, director of communications for the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which was co-founded by the late legendary puppeteer Bob Baker in 1963.
“I think people are really enchanted by puppets and the artform and I think there are people looking for that tactile experience that puppets can give,” she said.
The festival was founded in 2014 to honor Baker, who before he passed asked for a big puppet party to celebrate his life instead of a mournful gathering. And it’s turned out to be one heck of a yearly party now with three stages of entertainment planned for the day.
On one stage there will be professional puppet shows every 40 minutes from members of Baker’s theater troupe.
“Our theater can only fit a certain number of people for our shows each day and this is kind of a way that we bring the theater to the city,” Thompson said.
Another stage will be a chill zone with ambient music by DJs and a third stage will include performances by puppeteer Joe Selph and Rene’s Marionettes, as well as music from Los Angeles band Very Be Careful, a kids talent show and even a pie fight featuring David Arquette as Bozo the Clown. Yes, that David Arquette.
“He’s really big into clowning and he knew Bob and they’re kind of a connected artform in a lot of ways,” Thompson said, referring to Arquette.
The festival will also include roaming puppeteers and mimes, more than 60 vendors and artists, a food market and other activities.
“I hope that Bob Baker day continues the legacy of Bob Baker and that people walk away with a new love of puppets,” Thompson said.
Bob Baker Day
When: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. April 21
Where: Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N Spring St, Los Angeles
Tickets: Free but RSVP required
Information: bobbakerday.com