For the last few years, the Jim Henson Legacy and the Museum of the Moving Image have been throwing increasingly elaborate birthday parties to celebrate the late, great Jim Henson. This year, they couldn’t contain all the fun to just one day, so it’s become an entire weekend affair! If you’re in the New York metropolitan area, or are looking for an excuse to visit the Big Apple, Saturday September 20th and and Sunday the 21st are the days to come hang out at the museum, meet fellow Muppet fans and special guests, see screenings, hear music, and more!
Here is a full rundown of the weekend’s events:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
- 10:00am – Sing-along & Stroll-along with Heather Henson: Join Heather Henson, banjo virtuoso and frequent podcast guest Lucas Ross, and our very own Joe Hennes on a special Henson-themed walking tour through Central Park and beyond. This particular event is only availible as a part of of a “Weekend Pass,” which includes the tour, lunch, tickets to the screenings, and the other events happening all weekend long. Tickets are very limited, so if you want to partake in this particular tour, we advise you purchase right away!
- 1:00–5:00 p.m: Puppeteering at MoMI: Brian T. Carson, and his pal Silly Willy, will be giving puppetry lessons all afternoon in the Museum’s Digital Learning Suite. Hopefully, he can shed some light as to who performs the puppeteer.
- 4:00pm: The 70 Greatest Moments in Henson History: That’s right! It’s not only Jim Henson’s birthday, but the 70th anniversary of his creations. Craig Shemin will host a screening of the 70 Greatest Henson Moments, as chosen by YOU! Will “Rainbow Connection” make the cut, or will it lose out to “Pukka Pukka Squeedily Boink?” You’ll have to be at the Redstone Theater to find out!
- 6-8:00pm: Henson Meet-Up at Pig Beach BBQ: Just down the block from the museum, there’s a handsome little barbecue joint that has been a nice hangout spot some of us Muppet fans have been going to post-MOMI events for the last couple of years. But now, everybody’s invited! You’ll be able to have some food, hear music, and chat with your fellow Muppet nerds about how much you love Grover!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
- 11am-6pm: Swa(m)p Meet: The Muppet fan merch event is back again, this time lasting all day! Fans can purchase all kinds of Muppet merchandise, artwork, and more from an assorted group of vendors!
- 1:00pm: The 70 Greatest Moments in Henson History: Missed the screening on Saturday? You’ll have another chance to find out which Henson Moments are considered the greatest today!
- 3:30-4pm: Sam & Friends Book Signing: In case you hadn’t heard, Craig Shemin has a follow up to his 2022 book about the history of Sam and Friends. This time, he’s crafted The Sam and Friends Script Book, containing around 60 archival scripts from the show. So if you want a personalized signature on your front page, this is the time to get it!
- 4pm: Costume Contest: Come dressed up as your favorite Henson character! I hope everybody doesn’t show up dressed as Lips; that would be embarrassing!
- 4pm: Henson Music in the Courtyard: John Koozin and the Neighborhood are back to play some favorite Henson tunes. I’m certain their setlist must include “Honk Around the Clock.” It must. But be sure to be around the Kaufman Courtyard at 4:30pm so everybody can honor Jim with a round of “Happy Birthday to You!” There might even be cake!
- 6-8:00pm: Henson Meet-Up at Pig Beach BBQ: Head on back to Pig Beach for more Muppet fan hanging out! Talk about your favorite episodes of The Hoobs!
So there you have it! It’s a jam-packed weekend of Muppety good times! You’ll most certainly run into some of us Tough Pigs on both days, so don’t be shy and say hi!
Click here to have some cake on the Tough Pigs Discord!
By Shane Keating
