The primary focus of the Seattle International Children’s Festival is children, obviously, but this six day festival presents performances suitable for people of all ages that include theater, music, dance, puppetry, multi-media and circus performances, plus a host of hands-on activities that get the audience directly involved in the action. 

The SICF runs from  Monday, May 12 through Saturday, May 17 at the Seattle Center and on Monday, May 19 in Tacoma, and features performers like Teatro di Piazza o d’Occasione, a theater group whose interactive show is focused on an interactive story-telling performance called the “children cheering carpet” in which an actor and a dancer take the stage on a “magic” carpet which presents animated images and sounds that react to the pressure of feet or bodies and then invite their audience to explore the space and join in the journey, giving them each a unique experience of the senses.  Another great perfomance will be the US premiere of Dream Journey, the new show by internationally acclaimed puppeteer Jo Taira. 

Most performances take place during the day, but the festival also features some evening events specially aimed at teens and adults.  Monday, May 12 at 7:30 pm at Bagley Wright Theater, the festival presents their opening night variety show called Live from Planet Earth featuring MC James Whetzal, Jo Taira, Australian circus group Circa, flamenco dancer Savannah Seville, and Amazones, Women Master Drummers from Guinea.  Other evening performances take place on Thursday, May 15, and Friday, May 16.