Free Puppet Shows Running June – August
City Parks Foundation is thrilled to announce the return of the CityParks PuppetMobile free and family-friendly original marionette production of Cinderella Samba with shows running from June to August in neighborhood parks and community spaces. Traveling to all five boroughs in New York City, Cinderella Samba is a contemporary twist on the classic “Cinderella” fairy tale. A list of dates, shows and times can be found at cityparksfoundation.org/puppetmobile/, with more to be announced soon.
Cinderella Samba takes place in the lush landscape of Brazil, where, thanks to the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella attends Rio de Janeiro’s biggest Carnaval gala and dances the samba with Prince Paulo. The lively production features an original commissioned musical soundtrack that brings samba center-stage; handcrafted Carnaval festival floats on parade; and one-of-a-kind marionettes donning their most vibrant celebration costumes, created by the expert puppeteers from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park.
“We are excited to bring the CityParks PuppetMobile production of Cinderella Samba back to New York City parks and community spaces,” said Bruce Cannon, Artistic Director of the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. “This performance blends the timeless tale of Cinderella with the vibrant rhythms of samba and offers a unique theatrical experience for families across all five boroughs. We can’t wait to see the joy it brings to our audiences!”
CityParks PuppetMobile Show Dates and Times: 2024 (more TBA)
| Sat, June 1 | 1:00 PM | Herbert Von King Park, Brooklyn |
| Tues, June 4 | 11:00 AM | Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center, Manhattan |
| Weds, June 5 | 10:30 AM | Asser Levy Rec Center, Manhattan |
| Thurs, June 6 | 11:30 AM | Bowne Park, Queens |
| Fri, June 7 | 1:00 PM | Astoria Heights Playground, Queens |
| Sat, June 8 | 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM | Thomas Jefferson Park, Manhattan |
| Tues, June 11 | 11:00 AM | Betsy Head Park by playground, Brooklyn |
| Weds, June 12 | 11:00 AM | Roy Wilkins Park, Queens |
| Fri, June 14 | 1:00 PM | Kaiser Playground, Brooklyn |
| Sat, June 15 | 11:00 AM | Friends of South Oxford Park, Brooklyn |
| Thurs, June 20 | 10:00 AM | Union Square Park, Manhattan |
| Sat, June 22 | 1:00 PM & 3:00PM | Co-op City Section 2, Bronx |
| Fri, June 28 | 1:00 PM | Captain Roscoe Brown Aqueduct Walk/playground, Bronx |
| Sat, June 29 | 10:00 AM | McGolrick Park, Brooklyn |
| Weds, July 10 | 11:00 AM | Walker Park, Staten Island |
| Thurs, July 11 | 11:00 AM | Audubon Avenue between West 189-190 streets, Manhattan |
| Fri, July 12 | 10:30 AM | Seward Park (volleyball area), Manhattan |
| Sat, July 13 | 12:00 PM | Arthur J McDonald Playground, Staten Island |
| Tues, July 16 | 1:00 PM | Juniper Valley Park, Queens |
| Weds, July 17 | 11:00 AM | Pelham Bay Park – Playground for All Children, Bronx |
| Thurs, July 18 | 11:00 AM | McCarren Park, Brooklyn |
| Fri, July 19 | 11:00 AM | St. John’s Recreation Center, Brooklyn |
| Thurs, July 25 | 11:00 AM | Williamsbridge Oval Rec Center, Bronx |
| Fri, July 26 | 11:00 AM | Cunningham Park Summer Camp, Queens |
| Sat, July 27 | 12:00 PM | De Matti Park, Staten island |
| Sat, August 3 | 12:00 PM | Poe Park, Bronx |
| Mon, August 5 | 11:00 AM | Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Park, Bronx |
| Tues, August 6 | 11:00 AM | Jennifer’s Playground, Staten Island |
| Sat, August 10 | 1:00 PM | St. Nicholas Park, Manhattan |
| Tues, August 14 | 11:00 AM | Greenbelt Recreation Center, Staten Island |
| Sat, August 24 | 2:00 PM | Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan |
Park details, dates and more information can be found at: cityparksfoundation.org/puppetmobile.
Generous private support for CityParks PuppetMobile is provided by the Connelly Foundation in memory of Judith Connelly Delouvrier and The Weininger Foundation. In partnership with NYC Parks.
About City Parks Foundation
At City Parks Foundation, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs — located in more than 320 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City — reach over 278,000 people each year. Our ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.
About CityParks PuppetMobile
City Parks Foundation’s PuppetMobile brings free traveling entertainment to over 20,000 New York City children each year. One of the only mobile puppet theaters in the country and the oldest continually operating company of its kind, the CityParks PuppetMobile travels to parks, playgrounds and recreation centers citywide equipped with a stage and staff of professional puppeteers. The PuppetMobile is part of City Parks Foundation’s arts programming which engages children and their families in the world of arts and culture.
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