France: Festival Des Theatres De Marionettes (The Puppet Festival)

 

The art of puppet theatre is celebrated at a dedicated festival in the French town of Charleville-Mezieres in the Champagne-Ardenne region. The festival was started in the midst of world War II by local youth who wanted to make children laugh during those hard times. Today, visitors fill the streets of this friendly town to meet the best puppeteers from all over the world as they show their craft in the city's narrow streets, in the beautiful main square, along the river bank and inside traditional theaters.