Hey SFBAPG members,

Heads up! Cheap flights are available to the Phoenix Puppet Festival NOW, and they are going quickly!! I have looked at many airline web sites and the best bet is Southwest Airlines. Their promotional fares can't be beat. I only paid $123 roundtrip, including tax, from San Jose. There are only a few flights available from San Jose, but there are still quite a few flights available from Oakland. But they will disappear. Go to www.southwest.com.

(One thing to consider: stay an extra night at the luxury resort and fly out on Monday. The flights from San Jose are a lot cheaper on Monday.)

Here is the Fest schedule, so you can plan your flights:

Thursday, June 24 - Pre-fest workshops geared for teachers. 8:30 AM to 12 noon. (Session I: 8:30 to 10:00. Session II: 10:30 to 12:00.) This is not part of the formal Festival, but is open to everyone. Registration for this extra half day of workshops is $50. Workshop presenters are:

*Debbie Lutzky Allen from Missouri: Simple Puppets for the Classroom - How to Make and Use Them
*Judith O'Hare from Massachusetts: Toy Theater for Educators plus At the Improv with Little Red
*Ginger Lozar from Illinois: Hang It All (building three types of puppets from hangars)
*Ellen Schulze from Long Beach, CA: Polyfoam Animal Heads (building)

Thursday evening - The Festival formally starts with dinner. There will be an evening show.

Friday and Saturday, June 25 & 26 - Great workshops, great shows.

Sunday morning, June 27 - The last meal together will be breakfast. The last show will be about 10:30 to 11:30.

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We are staying at the San Marcos Resort in the city of Chandler, about a 30-minute drive from the Phoenix Airport. The Resort provides shuttles which will take you from the airport to the resort.

Check out the website: www.azpuppetfest.com. (Information about the teachers' workshops is not on the web site yet, but it will be there soon.)