What to Know
- Bob Baker Day at Los Angeles State Historic Park near DTLA
- Free, but do RSVP; April 21, 2024
- The marionette-merry celebration will honor the 100th anniversary of theater founder Bob Baker's birth and the 60th anniversary of the theater
When we think of a bouquet, we likely imagine colorful flowers, pretty paper blossoms, or even cookies or cupcakes.
But other good things in life can form their own sorts of offbeat bouquets, including an engaging enterprise that happens to be heading into not one, not two, but a period of three major milestones.
That adorable organization is the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, a joyful gem that began near downtown in the 1960s and then, with a hop and a skip and more than a little effort, bounded to a beautiful vintage venue in Highland Park half a decade ago.
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The theater is celebrating a bouquet of big anniversaries in 2024, including the 100th anniversary of founder Bob Baker's birth, the 60th anniversary of the theater, and the 10th anniversary of Bob Baker Day, the free festival that families adore.
Oh yes: And five years in Highland Park, another notable blossom in this particular bouquet.
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How best to celebrate all of this goodness?
By inviting everyone to a free celebration at Los Angeles State Historic Park on April 21. Yep, Bob Baker Day is back for its decade-tastic day-long jamboree, a sunny party filled with magic, music, and oodles of marionettes.
New in 2024? Look for the "Hooray LA Village," a sprightly "... ode to the recently restored BBMT show, which will bring together groups and institutions celebrating the culture of Los Angeles and providing resources on how to best protect the city’s natural environment."
Sweet, sweet, sweet; have marionettes ever been so municipally minded before? We're lucky to call this city, with its proud puppet citizens, home.
Special guests always stop by Bob Baker Day, too; Pinocchio, of the recent Guillermo del Toro film, was the gleeful Grand Marshal of the 2023 celebration.
Food trucks, vendors, and all sorts of grinful goings-on will be on the schedule, with activities open to all.
Next up for you and your youngsters, if you'd like to attend? You'll want to RSVP. True, admission is free, but the marionettes want to know how many people to expect.
Reservations open on Feb. 9.
