Saugatuck — home of the late Burr Tillstrom, creator of the beloved television show “Kukla, Fran and Ollie” and one of Saugatuck’s most-cherished famous figures — will be celebrated during Kuklafest 2026 Saturday, April 25, in the Saugatuck Woman’s Club, 303 Butler St.
• From noon to 4 p.m. the august hall will host a free puppet-making workshop and exhibit, literally setting the stage for:
• Jabberwocky Marionettes and Dragoncillo Puppet Troupe presenting fantastically operated, colorful handmade characters of all types and sizes with original music and amazing scenic environments; come to life in a series of nature-inspired, big-hearted comic puppet shorts. Tickets cost $10.
In the early 1950s, Tillstrom drew fellow puppeteers to Saugatuck for intensive puppetry conferences at the Ox-Bow Art School, attracting notable puppeteers from around the country, including Jim and Jane Henson, creators of “The Muppets.”
A statue commemorating the puppet pioneer stands in downtown’s Village Square Park, now in early bloom.
Hystopolis Productions will again stage the day in Tillstrom’s memory. For more information, call (312) PUPPETS (787-7387.
