New ‘Fiestas de Marionetas’ show at State Fair of Texas celebrates Latin American culture

DALLAS - A celebration of Latin American culture is coming to this year’s State Fair of Texas. It’s a show that’s the first of its kind at the fair.

Color and culture will take center stage for “Fiestas de Marionetas.”

“The fact that the State Fair of Texas is even considering having Latino representation... it’s amazing,” said Rosalinda Olivares, a sales manager for Geppetto’s Marionette Theater.

Stories in the show will be told through marionettes. All of the puppets on strings are handmade, just like the set.

“Everything is pretty much handmade from all our artists that we work with around the DFW area,” Olivares said.

“We use Texas base wood in their construction so they are Texas originals through and through,” added Kent Williams, the show’s producer and director.

The show features a range of Latin American traditions like bull fighting and the Luchadores or Mexican wrestling. There’s also a special tribute to late Tejano star Selena. And the grand finale is a day of the dead celebration.

“We’re calling it the day of remembrance. We treat that very tenderly at the end. I think it’s going to elicit tears. And then it explodes into a big party and ends with confetting cannons. There’s a lot going on,” Williams said.

The 24-minute show was written for a bilingual audience. It will take place in a small shaded amphitheater in the shadow of Big Tex, which will be transformed into a Mexican village surrounded by lights and trees.

“People will come to the show and they will see someone that looks like them on the stage in puppet form. To me that’s amazing. That’s all we could ever ask for,” Olivares said.