Pre-Festival Events
Digital Passport
Aire Craft Digital Passport
For the month of August, Issaquah transforms into a living landscape of art, nature, flight, and imagination. As part of Aire Craft’s inaugural festival, Clown Garage and Culture Tug have partnered with Good Business Network of Washington to develop the Aire Craft Digital Passport.
Sky Port Exhibit
Check out a pop-up display about the Skyport at Issaquah Community Center! Created by Issaquah History Museums, this mini-exhibit celebrates the Skyport and the legacy of sky sports that remains in Issaquah today. Explore historic photos from the years the Skyport was active, see a parachute used by instructor Al Carroll, and spot a button from the Save Our Skyport campaign.
Kinetic Creativity: Community Movement Workshop by Kinesis Project dance theatre
Join Kinesis Project Dance Theatre for a joyful, community-created movement experience led by Artistic Director Melissa Riker. Help bring the company's iconic 110-foot orange dress to life in a one-of-a-kind outdoor performance. No dance experience needed—just bring your curiosity and creativity!
FREE:ANIMAL MASK MAKING WORKSHOP & PERFORMANCE
Join artist Emily McHugh for two intensive sessions exploring the art of mask making! Using clay, masking tape, and paint, you'll design and build your own animal alter ego mask — no experience needed. Perfect for artists, educators, and curious minds at the intersection of theater, visual art, and play.
Night at the Grand Opera
Set in an old European opera house during the golden age of Grand Opera, Night at the Grand Opera is a frenzied romp through a candlelit night at the Opera. Rococo extravagance is fashioned with elaborate cardboard sets that collapse and unfold to reveal the many great dramas of the opera house (not all of which happen on stage.) Love triangles, converging revolutionary plots, metamorphosing flies and disaf ected vermin are brought to life with cardboard and paper-mache.
Chalk Art Festival
Get ready for a colorful afternoon of creativity and summer fun at the Issaquah Chalk Art Festival! This free, family-friendly event invites everyone to grab some chalk (we’ll provide it!) and make a creation down the Rainier Trail.
Bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and stay awhile: there’s something magical for everyone!
Giant Puppetry Workshop — Session 4 of 4
Discover the magic of puppetry in this immersive workshop with String and Shadow Puppet Theater, led by artist Emily McHugh.
Over the course of four intensive sessions, participants will explore the fundamentals of giant puppet construction, using accessible materials like cardboard and papier-mâché to create two giant bird puppets.The workshop will culminate in a two collaborative appearances–a Fourth of July parade, and Aire Craft’s Sky Parade–where participants will animate their creations as part of vibrant public celebrations.
Giant Puppetry Workshop — Session 3 of 4
Discover the magic of puppetry in this immersive workshop with String and Shadow Puppet Theater, led by artist Emily McHugh.
Over the course of four intensive sessions, participants will explore the fundamentals of giant puppet construction, using accessible materials like cardboard and papier-mâché to create two giant bird puppets.The workshop will culminate in a two collaborative appearances–a Fourth of July parade, and Aire Craft’s Sky Parade–where participants will animate their creations as part of vibrant public celebrations.
Giant Puppetry Workshop — Session 2 of 4
Discover the magic of puppetry in this immersive workshop with String and Shadow Puppet Theater, led by artist Emily McHugh.
Over the course of four intensive sessions, participants will explore the fundamentals of giant puppet construction, using accessible materials like cardboard and papier-mâché to create two giant bird puppets.The workshop will culminate in a two collaborative appearances–a Fourth of July parade, and Aire Craft’s Sky Parade–where participants will animate their creations as part of vibrant public celebrations.
Aire Craft Sneak “Peak” with Cirque Kikasse
Watch in awe as this circus troupe, Cirque Kikasse, turns restaurant prep into gravity-defying acrobatic feats of fun, building 35 ft towers in the sky and creating comic chaos. A playful, virtuosic circus performance that's sure to captivate all ages. Based in Quebec, Canada, Cirque Kikasse is in Issaquah for one night only!
Giant Puppetry Workshop — Session 1 of 4
Discover the magic of puppetry in this immersive workshop with String and Shadow Puppet Theater, led by artist Emily McHugh.
Over the course of four intensive sessions, participants will explore the fundamentals of giant puppet construction, using accessible materials like cardboard and papier-mâché to create two giant bird puppets.The workshop will culminate in a two collaborative appearances–a Fourth of July parade, and Aire Craft’s Sky Parade–where participants will animate their creations as part of vibrant public celebrations.