The PuppetMobile is a full marionette theatre that drives itself into a park, unfolds a stage and performs for free, and this season's script rewrites Gepetto as a New York kid who invents a robot friend rather than an Italian woodcarver. The puppets are hand-crafted and the score is original, so it plays like actual theatre rather than a park-department placeholder. If you have young children and one free hour this weekend, this is the highest-quality free thing you can put them in front of.
What to expect
A travelling stage sets up on the park lawn and the show runs about an hour with hand-crafted marionettes and live music. Families sit on the grass in front of the stage, so it is casual and easy to arrive at with small children. Directed by Bruce Cannon with a script by Julia Darden and set design by Zlata Godunova.
Good to know
- The A to 190th Street brings you into Fort Tryon Park at the top end
- Free and unticketed; just turn up
- Bring a blanket — seating is on the lawn
- Runs about an hour, pitched at younger children
- Outdoors, so it is weather-dependent
- Fort Tryon has shade, playgrounds and the Cloisters nearby if you want to make a morning of it
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Common questions
How much does it cost?
Nothing. City Parks Foundation's PuppetMobile performances are free and unticketed.
What age is it for?
It is aimed at younger children, with an hour-long running time and hand-crafted marionettes.
Is there seating?
No fixed seating — families sit on the lawn in front of the travelling stage, so bring a blanket.
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