2024 Kalevala Puppet Pageant

15th Annual Community Theater for All Ages Workshops begin Mon, Aug 5, 2024! TWO Public Performances: Friday 8/16/24 @ NYM Corn Feed Saturday 8/17/24 @ Finn Creek Fest The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish...

2023 Kalevala Puppet Pageant

14th Annual Community Theater Event Friday 8/18/23 @ NYM Corn Feed Saturday 8/19/23 @ Finn Creek Fest Workshops begin Mon, Aug 7, 2023! The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish national epic poem, the...

2022 Kalevala Puppet Pageant

13th Annual Community Theater Event Friday 8/19/22 @ NYM Corn Feed Saturday 8/20/22 @ Finn Creek Fest Workshops begin Mon, Aug 8, 2022! The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish national epic poem, the...

2021 Kalevala Puppet Pageant

12th Annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant Fri, Aug 20 @ NYM Corn Feed Sat, Aug 21 @ Finn Creek Fest Workshops begin Mon, Aug 9, 2021! The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish national epic poem, The Kalevala. This...

Kalevala Puppet Pageant 2019

11th Annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant Fri, Aug 16th in New York Mills Sat, Aug 17th in Perham Workshops begin Mon, Aug 5th! The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish national epic poem, The Kalevala. Adults and...

Kalevala Puppet Pageant 2018

10th Annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant Fri, Aug 17th @ New York Mills VFW Sat, Aug 18th @ Perham Pioneer Grounds The Cultural Center is pleased to present its 10th annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant performance in New York Mills on Friday, August 17th, in conjunction with...

Puppet Pageant 2017

9th Annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant Friday, August 18th in New York Mills! Announcing second performance in Perham on Saturday, August 19th! The Cultural Center is pleased to present its 9th annual Kalevala Puppet Pageant performance in New York Mills on Friday, August...

2016 Puppet Pageant

Puppet Pageant based on tales from the Kalevala Friday, August 19th @7pm After the Corn Feed Dance, music, acting, costume design and performance skills are taught by Anne Sawyer-Aitch, Creative Director and Puppeteer from Minneapolis, who has worked with In the Heart...

Puppet Pageant Workshop Schedule

2016 Puppet Puppet Pageant Workshop Schedule Workshops For All: (Parents can drop children off) Monday August 8th 9am-Noon Tuesday August 9th 9am-Noon Wednesday August 10th 9am-Noon Thursday August 11th 9am-Noon Friday August 12th 9am-Noon Monday August 15th 9am-Noon...

Get Involved! ~ 2016 Puppet Pageant

2016 Cultural Center 8th annual Puppet Pageant    Supply, Volunteer, and Sponsor Request The Puppet Pageant is a community theatre production and there are many ways to get involved! Volunteer Opportunities: Sewing: costumes Carpentry: help with stilts, as needed...

Puppet Pageant this Friday, August 21st

Workshops underway for 7th annual Puppet Pageant Workshops for the Puppet Pageant kicked off last week and continue this week, all leading up to the final performance on Friday, August 21st, 2015 at 7:00pm (immediately following the New York Mills Civic & Commerce...

Garage Sale fundraiser to benefit Puppet Pageant

Come to a Garage Sale behind the Cultural Center, under the Sugar Creek Woodworking awnings, this Friday and Saturday, August 21 & 22, 2015. Hours will be 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday, with $1 a bag from 11:00 a.m. until...

7th Annual Puppet Pageant

7th Annual Puppet Pageant Please join us for the 2015 Puppet Pageant, once again under the creative direction of Anne Sawyer-Aitch.  This year’s original play will weave folklore from the Finnish national epic poem, the Kalevala, and the cultural heritage of the...

2014 Puppet Pageant

Join us for two weeks of fun and creativity! Learn to walk with stilts, children & adults help to make large puppets and perform in our theatrical event!                                                               Workshop Schedule: For all participants August...

Puppet Pageant this Friday

The annual Puppet Pageant is Friday at 7 pm behind the Cultural Center Don’t miss the Corn Feed at Central Park from 4-7pm before the Pageant!  The Center and Creamery Restaurant will sell tamales during the Corn Feed and have desserts and beverages after the...

Sometimes You Move the Puppet and Sometimes the Puppet Moves You

In August of 2016, Nik Nerburn, a filmographer originally from the Bemidji, MN area, came to New York Mills to the Center’s Artist Retreat Program. While here, Nik shot video of the Puppet Pageant workshops, the performance, and the New York Mills Corn Feed (on...

Come to the Pageant and enjoy dessert after

This Friday, August 16, is the 5th annual Puppet Pageant Tamales in Central Park before the Pageant from 4-7pm.  Then, a brief (one block) walk to the Pageant stage behind the Cultural Center to see 8-foot-tall Star Bears and a heroic mouse, and after come to the...

Meat Raffle Fundraiser – 2nd Fridays @ NYM VFW

Support the Local: Join us at the VFW! MONTHLY on the second Friday (Oct-May). Open to All & Free to Attend. Win FREE Cultural Center event tickets too! Who doesn’t love a good meat raffle?? Meat Raffles are some of the good stuff of rural America,...

Curtis & Loretta Album Release Tour Concert 11/3/22

Thursday, November 3, 2022 Concert begins @ 7:30 p.m. Original Folk Music @ NYM Cultural Center The Cultural Center is thrilled to welcome Curtis and Loretta back to New York Mills for an Album Release Tour Concert on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. You may...

In the Gallery: “The Figure, Refigured”

August 10 – September 10, 2022 Artists Robyn Olson, Lori Charest, Anne Sawyer Gallery Open to All Reception Friday 8/12 @ 4-6PM All are invited to the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center Gallery between August 10 – September 10, 2022 to see artwork by...

Volunteer Spotlight

First Volunteer Spotlight: Dorothy Eskeli To kick off our new “Volunteer Spotlight” recognition program, we would like to highlight and thank longtime volunteer, Dorothy Eskeli of New York Mills.     “Volunteering adds an extra dimension...

Volunteer Spotlight: Dorothy Eskali

Volunteer Spotlight: Dorothy Eskeli To kick off our new “Volunteer Spotlight” recognition program, we would like to highlight and thank longtime volunteer, Dorothy Eskeli of New York Mills. “Volunteering adds an extra dimension and sense of pride as...

Vainamoinen and the Golden Goose

The 9th Annual Puppet Pageant in 2017 can now be seen streaming on our YouTube page! Click to watch: Cultural Center on YouTube

Donate With Network for Good

Donate OnlineWe use the service Network for Good to allow our donors to contribute securely online; click the logo at the right to get to our organization’s donation page.The New York Mills Arts Retreat and Regional Cultural Center is a multidisciplinary arts...

Annual Events

Annual Events  The Great American Think-Off: a philosophy contest for everyone The Great American Think-Off is an annual philosophy competition open to all at no cost. To participate, submit an essay on-line by clicking on the headline above, by email to...

About the Cultural Center

About the Cultural CenterThe New York Mills Arts Retreat and Regional Cultural Center is a multidisciplinary arts organization that has been dedicated to expanding the cultural and creative opportunities for rural Americans for three decades. The Center, founded by...

Artist in Residence ~ August 2016

Nik Nerburn Filmmaker / Photographer Nik is a research-based storyteller, filmmaker and photographer. He is interested in oral histories, vernacular folklore and local legends, being equally informed by documentary journalism and avant-garde forms. His work often...

Support the Center through AmazonSmile

Did you know about GivingTuesday? When you shop online at Amazon.com today, on this Giving Tuesday, throughout this holiday season, and every day, here is an easy and effective way to support the Cultural Center. Just click on the image to be directed to our...

AmazonSmile program at the Cultural Center

AmazonSmile helps bring you the Puppet Pageant and the Think-Off If you buy goods from Amazon.com you can now help provide resources to the Cultural Center too.  When you shop on Amazon just click on the following link to ask for Amazon.Smile.  You will still be on...

Winter Light Festival

Saturday February 1st at 7 pm Lanterns, light, and 11 short films from the Rural Route Film Festival We’ll be reaching the halfway mark between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox at the beginning of February and we think it is time to celebrate the return of...

Art in the schools

We’re fortunate to have three representatives from the New York Mills School serving as members of the 2017 Board of Directors of the Center. Rebecca Imsande is the Music teacher, Judith Brockway is the elementary Principal, and Matt Holtberg is the Technology...