CRANKIE FEST 2026
Out of the Box: Extraordinary Storytelling
The 4th Annual Crankie* Fest will explore unique "out of the box" approaches to both artmaking and storytelling. Crankies will feature unusual stories, unexpected performance elements, surprising puppets, and diverse art mediums, all accompanied by live, original music and sound effects. Crankie shows are best suited for ages 5 to adult.
New this year, community members of all ages are invited to Crankie Open Houses. These offer a more casual opportunity to take a closer look at the crankies, meet the artists, and learn more about the process of creating a crankie.
*A crankie is a very old storytelling art form in which an illustrated scroll in a box is cranked (hence the name) across an opening in the box. Often accompanied by a narrative element in the form of a story, song or poem, crankies are also called moving panoramas.
Are you interested in being a fairy architect but you have questions about how it all works? Join our EED Danielle Thomsen for a fairy architect Q and A over zoom (Wednesday March 12, 6-7pm). Signup here to participate and get the zoom link.
Belgrade
Belgrade Library and Community Center
Shows
November 7th at 2:00 and 3:30
Free, reservations required. Link coming soon.
Bozeman
Beall Park Recreation Center
Shows
Friday, November 13th at 7:00pm
Saturday, November 14th at 5:00pm and 7:00pm
Sunday, November 15th at 3:00pm and 5:00pm
Free, reservations required. Link coming soon.
Open Houses
Beall Park Recreation Center
Saturday, November 14th from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Sunday, November 15th from 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Drop in, no reservation required.
THis year's crankies & artists
Honeybees by Kate Weiss
Morton the Marmot's Journey to the Center of Montana by Emlyn Harris
Quira's Collection by Anna Stewart
Lenore by Rachel Ingle
The Wondrous Voyage of Eloise Kipperly by Eric Dymit
Iiniskim by Jade Lowder.
Live, original music and sound effects performed by Cody Henderson.
