Located in
Vallejo, the Giant Puppet Collective
started with the Vallejo 4th of July
Parade Association commissioning Magical
Moonshine Theatre's Michael Nelson to
make a 10 foot tall General
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo puppet for the July 4th parade in
2007. In 2008 they added Vallejo's
wife, Benicia.
In 2009 the giant puppet making grew to
epic proportions with the creation of the
giant horse puppet in the Vallejo Ferry
Terminal Building, with dozens of community
volunteers
contributing their time and talents. 2010
saw the creation of Lady Liberty, and in
2011 the parade puppet was the USS
Mariano G. Vallejo nuclear submarine,
complete with submariners on deck that
salute when the flag is raised.
WHERE CAN
YOU SEE THE PUPPETS WHEN NOT IN THE
PARADE? The General and his wife,
Benicia, the Mare and Lady Liberty live
at the Mare Island Preserve Visitor
Center in
Vallejo, open weekends.
Below is the 10 minute YouTube
documentary on the making of the giant
horse puppet, including plans, piece by
piece construction, testing, mechanics of
the beast, and the parade tricks! Enjoy!
