• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet several hundred people who may actually make less money than you.

• If you haven't attended a national festival, you won't want to miss this next one.  The memories from your first national festival will last a lifetime. Ask anyone about their first national, and it's like they are describing their first true love.

• A national festival is a great opportunity to see a slew of performances from throughout the country, as well as the world consolidated into less than a week.

• The food that you will eat during the week of a national festival will leave you speechless.  You will honestly be able to say that you have never tasted anything quite like it. 

• You will get an opportunity to speak one on one with some amazingly creative people.  Many of them may even become your friends for life.

• Three words - part, party, party.  Nobody knows how to party like puppeteers!

• There will be an opportunity to take your pick from over 70  wonderful workshops and learn tips, tricks and techniques from the masters

• It is an awesome feeling to mingle with several hundred people who share your love of our unique art form.  A national festival is a wonderful opportunity to get all these people together at the same time and place

CAMPUS AND LOCATION

How far is the campus from the Moon?
The average distance is 238,857 miles. Shuttle NOT available.

How far is the campus from the Airport?
The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is 8 miles from the Concordia University campus.

I’m driving. Where can I find directions or a map to get me to the campus?
See the transportation page for driving instructions.

What's the address for Concordia University? (Mapquest Link)
Concordia University
275 Syndicate Street North
St. Paul, MN 55104

Is there a mailing or shipping address for the Puppetry Store or the Exhibit?
Packages for the Store, Puppets for the exhibit or any last minute materials can be sent to:

PUPPET RAMPAGE 2007
5115 EXCELSIOR BLVD, #448
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55416

How close is the nearest Amtrak station if I wish to travel by train?
The Amtrak station is less than two miles from the Concordia campus.

What are the parking arrangements?
Concordia University has 500 on-campus parking spaces and 500 on-street parking spaces. All dorms have parking within a block. No parking permits are needed.
Campus Map in PDF

Are campus facilities handicapped accessible?
All performance and workshop spaces are handicap accessible. Some dormitory accommodations offer a degree of accessibility, although dorm bathrooms are generally not fully accessible. The host hotel is handicapped accessible also.

Can I bring non-motorized transportation (i.e. bicycles, scooters) to navigate around campus?
Concordia College is a fairly small campus with narrow walk-ways. The college highly recommends that if you wish to bring recreational equipment there are a number of parks and trails in and around Minneapolis/St. Paul that will accommodate bicycles, scooters, etc.
If health issues are a concern for mobility motorized carts will be allowed. Please ask for a campus map noting elevator locations at the registration table.

Are all the campus facilities air-conditioned?
All performance and workshop spaces are air-conditioned. Air-conditioning is an option that can be selected for dormitory housing.

Is alcohol allowed on campus?
Yes. Concordia University has changed its policy specifically for our festival. The Festival's Late Night Lounge will be open from 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. most nights of the festival. Wine and beer drink tickets will need to be purchased during the day from the Rampage Girls and Rampage Boys. Each ticket will be worth 1 drink. Cash exchanges may not occur at the Late Night Lounge.

What’s the weather like in Minnesota during late July?
Delightful! The average high temperature in St. Paul, Minnesota in July is 84 degrees. The average low temperature is 63 degrees.

What shopping and other facilities are near the campus?
Within a mile or less of the campus you will find:

Shopping
- Holiday (convenience store)
- Border's Books
- Cub Foods
- The UPS Store
- Herberger's
- Mervyn's
- Dollar Tree (Where Everything's $1.00)

Restaurants
Within one mile, several unique fast food places:
- Leeann Chin
- Hardee's
- Cities Grill
- Subway
- Jubbah Grill (American and Somali Foods)
- Perkins
- McDonalds

Click HERE to open or download a PDF map showing shops, stores and restaurants close to the Concordia Campus.

and some of the Twin Ciies most distinctive bistros not far away:
- Zander Cafe
- W.A. Frost and Company
- Fabulous Ferns
- Chang O'Hara's

How can someone from home reach me in case of emergency?
If your family members "back home" needs to reach you while you're at the festival (and you don't have a cell phone with you) they can call the Festival Office at
651-603-6166 and leave a message.

DOWNLOADING PDF FORMS
(Registration, Workshop and Performance Apps., etc.)

How do I download PDF files to my computer
You can access and print PDF files in two ways:
1) Click on the link and the file should open up in your browser; you can then print the pages from the browser.
2) Another way, probably preferable, is to first download the files to your computer. Hold down the mouse key on the link until a dialogue box comes up and presents a list of things you can do, which should include something like "download link to disk." Select that option and it will then give you another navigation box that lets you choose where the downloaded file should be placed (just as when you save a word processing file, for example.) The desktop is as good a place as any for the time being and then the file can be moved to wherever you want to store it
When you click on the PDF file, a program called Acrobat Reader should boot up and then open the file. Most computers come loaded with Acrobat Reader, but if you don't have it, you can download it free from Adobe. Download Acrobat Reader

HOUSING

How many people can stay in one room at the hotel?
Up to four people can stay in a room at the Best Western Kelly Inn for the $79/rate. That's $10 cheaper per night than in 2005 Festival!

How do I make reservations?
Contact reservations: (651) 227-8711 or email: stpaul@kellyinns.com. Visit their website at www.bestwesternstpaul.com. The block of rooms is reserved under "Puppeteers of America" so be sure to state this to get the festival negotiated rate.

Are the dormitories handicapped accessible?
Only one dorm on campus is fully handicap accessible.

How far are the dorms from the workshop and performance facilities?
The farthest dorms are three blocks from the performance and workshop facilities.

How far is the hotel from the workshop and performance facilities?
The Best Western Kelly Inn is a little over 1 mile away. The University will be providing shuttle service throughout the festival between the Hotel and the Festival venues. From the hotel entrance to the part of the campus where shows and workshops will occur is a less than a five minute ride.

Can I stay on campus in my RV?
Trailers or campers can not be used on campus for overnight housing. The KOA St. Paul East RV Park and Campground is 15 miles away.

FOOD

Where will meals be served?
Meals will be served in the Gangelhoff Center, a large athletic complex with a dining hall, two blocks from the performance and workshop facilities.

Who provides the meal service?
Meals are being provided by Sodexho Campus Services, the resident food service provider at Concordia University.

Will there be a vegetarian menu?
Meals have been planned such that there is a vegetarian entrée offered at each meal.

Who do I talk to about special dietary needs?
Please inform the registrars of any special dietary needs you may have when you register for the festival. Some accommodation of special needs may be possible.

When are the first and last meals of the Festival?
The first meal included in the meal package is dinner, Tuesday evening (July 17). The last meal will be breakfast on Sunday morning (July 22).

SCHEDULING – PLANNING INFORMATION

When do the first and last official events of the Festival occur?
Though a small performance is planned during registration on Tuesday afternoon (July 17) the Festival officially begins with dinner on Tuesday evening, followed by the opening event. The festival will close with a party on Saturday night, (July 21) but the meal package includes breakfast on Sunday morning.

When will the full schedule be available
Though schedules are always subject to change, check the registration page for a link to the schedule as it develops.