Old MacDonald's Pumpkin Patch

Old MacDonald's Pumpkin Patch is at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater on Thursday, October 15, at 10 AM. It's a high-energy Halloween show built for the toddler crowd, and the plot is simple enough for the little ones to follow: the animals on Old MacDonald's farm have to find costumes for the holiday. The whole thing is performed with rod and hand puppets, and it's built around toddler-friendly music with plenty of sing-along moments. It's recommended for ages 2 to 8, so it's a good fit if you've got a preschooler or a primary-school kid who still loves a good puppet show.

The theater itself is a non-profit professional puppet theater that started back in 1983 as a touring company. These days it's housed in a historic church in downtown Phoenix, and it stays open to the public five days a week year-round. They stage shows for both children and adults, and their community tours reach about 85,000 people a year, mostly kids. Over the years, the theater has been named The New Times' "Best Entertainment for Kids" and "Best Children's Theater," and it picked up the UNIMA-USA Citation for Excellence in Puppetry for its original Cinderella.

If you're planning to go, the show is at 10 AM on Thursday, October 15, at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater, 302 W. Latham St. in downtown Phoenix. Tickets run from $10 to $15.