BELFAST — Downtown residents and visitors were treated to a late morning puppet parade, courtesy of the second annual Belfast Peace Festival. The constant beat of the drum featured in the parade could be heard long before the first puppet came into view.  

With Breath Puppetry hosted workshops designed to help participants craft their own puppets. Many of the creations towered high above their human escorts.

The purpose of the Peace Festival, according to the festival program, is to “help, heal and inspire, making our community a safer, kinder, more just and better place to live.” 

The Belfast Peace Festival noted in its program that the mission is borrowed from a program developed by the city of Seattle in 2012, named Compassionate Games. 

There were an assortment of booths set up with varying missions, some offering refreshments, and others information. 

Veterans for Peace, Belfast Transition, and Restorative Justice of the Midcoast, were just a few of the informational booths set up at the festival.  The two-day event featured a dance party at Steamboat Landing Friday, Aug. 28. 

Saturday’s schedule kicked off with the Peace Parade, which began at Waterfall Arts and ended at Steamboat Landing. 

There were also a variety of musical offerings, including performances, dancing and a ukulele clinic. 

The puppets featured in the parade were placed around the event grounds, which also included a labyrinth for visitors to explore. 

The festival concluded with a concert by Lynn Deeves & Local Friends at Steamboat Landing. 

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com