Giant Puppet Workshops Coming To Hackensack Ahead Of Illumination 250 Parade

Hackensack residents and visitors are invited to help create giant puppets that will later make their way down Main Street as part of a large-scale public arts celebration marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) is hosting a free Giant Puppets Workshop Series from Aug. 14 through Aug. 19 at Bergen Makerspace, 284 Hackensack Ave. in Hackensack, New Jersey.

The Processional Arts Workshop, an organization specializing in community-based processions and large-scale puppetry, will lead participants in creating puppets for Illumination 250, a parade and arts festival scheduled for Oct. 3.

The workshops are open to adults, seniors, teenagers and tweens. Children 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. The NNJCF also invites scouting troops, student clubs, arts organizations and other community groups to participate. No previous art or puppet-making experience is required. Participants can attend one or multiple sessions.

Community members can also sign up to march in the October parade or train to become “puppet masters” who will help operate the giant creations. No experience is required, and training will be provided at no cost.

Illumination 250 will expand on downtown Hackensack’s annual HACKENSACKtoberfest with arts, cultural and community programming from Atlantic Street Park to several downtown locations.

The Oct. 3 celebration is expected to include live performances, interactive art installations, Family Fun Day, a flash mob and an evening light show. Organizers say the festival is intended to celebrate Hackensack’s diverse communities while drawing visitors to the city’s downtown businesses and public spaces.

Illumination 250 is a collaboration among the Hackensack Performing Arts Center, in partnership with NNJCF’s ArtsBergen, Main Street Business Alliance, Greater Bergen Community Action, and the City of Hackensack.

The celebration is supported through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s A.R.T. Phase II Program, which provides funding for arts and culture projects designed to activate public spaces and support local economic activity.

Registration is required separately for each workshop session. Participants can register online for the free workshops. More information about Illumination 250 is available through Downtown Hackensack.