CHRISTMAS 2025
Wisemen Tell God's Tales
Pirate lore tells us that "dead men tell no tales." That may be true, but "Wise Men" have been telling a tale that has captured hearts and lives for generations.
Enjoy the story of Artaban -- "the Forgotten Wiseman." One night he is studying the black skies when he notices a bright new star. Consulting his wise friends, they decide to follow the star. Artaban's journey, though, takes unexpected twists. This classic tale--adapted from Henry Van Dyke's The Other Wiseman-- was first performed by the All Saints Marionettes in 1966 and comes back to life for our 60th Anniversary Show.
Along with Artaban's story enjoy a special retelling of the arrival of baby Jesus. This pair of family-friendly shows feature over two dozen colorful, hand-crafted marionettes. Watch as animal and character puppets unfold the Christmas magic.
Performance dates for our special 60th Anniversary show are set for December 2025...
Fox Folk Marionettes features over fifty hand-crafted marionettes that were lovingly created by the members of All Saints Episcopal Church in Appleton and by the late Bruce and Barbara Purdy. Our colorful, hand-crafted, and family-friendly marionettes stand 12-18 inches tall. FFM&F has a repertoire of shows which allows our audiences to enjoy new experiences each season.
All of our shows run about a half hour and feature between 15-25 marionettes. For groups looking for longer show times, we offer options that extend our performances times. Please see Fox Folk Shows for show summaries.
Marionette puppetry is becoming a rare art form. Only a few troupes in Wisconsin perform marionettes today. Fox Folk Marionettes (originally the All Saints Marionettes) debuted in 1965! In December 2025, we are celebrating 60 years in puppetry performances! Many of the original puppets and props are still in use today.
Our special 60th Anniversary
Christmas show is
"Wisemen Tell God's Tales." It combines one of the first shows ever
performed by the marionettes in the 1960s with a brand-new show
retelling the arrival of the baby Jesus.
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Sunday, December 21 - 9:30-10:30 am
Fox Folks Marionettes & Friends performs our
Special 60th Anniversary Christmas Show at
Eternal Love Church between services
Our Wednesday, December 10 FVL Shows
were snowed out & are rescheduled for...
Wednesday, January 7 -- 9:30 & 11 am
Fox Folks Marionettes & Friends performs our
Special 60th Anniversary Christmas Show on stage
at Fox Valley Lutheran High School
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FFM&F is booking shows for Spring 2026!
Saturday, March 21 - 11:00 am & 1 pm
Fox Folks Marionettes & Friends will
present "The Long Journey - An Easter Story"
at Evergreen Retirement Community in Oshkosh
Monday, March 23 - 7:00 pm
Fox Folks Marionettes & Friends will
present "The Long Journey - An Easter Story"
at Evergreen Retirement Community in Oshkosh
Wednesday, April 15 - 10:00 am
Fox Folks Marionettes & Friends Director
Dave Payne will be offering a marionette
"Show & Tell" at Onalaska Public Library's
"Senior Moments" program
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