String Fling and Online Auction
Save the Date – March 21, 2026
String Fling and Online Auction 2026
Saturday, March 21
An Evening with Special Guest David Arquette on World Puppetry Day
“I’m overjoyed to support the Center for Puppetry Arts and the String Fling 2026 theme, ‘the Spark of Imagination’. It’s a celebration of that initial idea, doodle, sketch, or conversation that gets a creative idea flowing, and it reflects the energy of this exciting moment in time for the Center.“
– David arquette
Join us for a bold, playful, and unforgettable night as the Center for Puppetry Arts kicks off a very special countdown to our 50th Anniversary in 2028—and we’re starting with a fan favorite.
Actor, filmmaker, and lifelong pop-culture enthusiast David Arquette joins us as our special celebrity guest for String Fling 2026, a one-night-only celebration of creativity, imagination, and the magic of puppetry.
As the first gala in a new anniversary series, String Fling 2026 will bring friends of puppetry together to celebrate the theme of “the Spark of Imagination,” toast the past, and shape the future that we will create together.
Join us in person at String Fling Benefit Gala on March 21, 2026 at Guardian Works in Atlanta, GA, to show your support for the arts.
Can’t make it to Atlanta? Follow along through our auction!
Snapshots from String Fling and Online Auction 2025 – Labyrinth of Legends
What is String Fling?
String Fling is the annual fundraising event for the Center for Puppetry Arts, raising nearly $350,000 each year to support the Center’s operations, including theatrical productions, museum exhibitions, and arts-infused educational programming.
Each year, the evening brings together arts supporters, contributors to the field of puppetry, and friends from across the country for a night of spectacle and support. The Center’s popular online auction (Call to Auction) culminates on the evening of String Fling. Anyone can participate in the auction – near and far – and support the Center!
After 47 years, the Center continues to distinguish itself as a unique treasure in Atlanta with innovative performances, workshops, and exhibitions showcasing local to international artists and featuring timely stories to popular culture favorites. The organization produces 500 fully-staged puppetry performances per year through its Family Series, favorites for school groups, children, and their guardians, and its New Directions Series, for teen to adult cultural consumers. The Center has significant impact in the performing arts, with alumni working at Disney, The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Street, and in theaters on Broadway and around the world, as well as in the film industry.
In addition to 2 permanent galleries that house our Global Collection and the Jim Henson Collection, the museum presents 3-4 rotating exhibitions, and pop-up displays each year. Our educational efforts include online and in-person workshops, teaching artist-led activities, master classes and lectures, outreach programs, field trips, and accessibility initiatives that strive to ensure everyone can enjoy the magic of puppetry. As a pioneer in the field of web-based learning for the past 20 years, the Center develops award-winning curriculum-based interactive online experiences, reaching all 50 states and nearly 90 countries around the world.
Your attendance and support through String Fling help make all of this possible, and keep puppetry alive and thriving! Please consider donating or getting involved!
For more event information about 2026 String Fling, please contact:
Stephanie Carter, Development Manager
A few memories from String Flings of the past….
2026 Sponsors & Patrons
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Warner Bros. Discovery
SUPPORTER
Inspire Brands | King & Spalding | Perkins&Will | Printpack and the Love Family Foundation | Mr. and Mrs. H. Bronson Smith | Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits Tower Lights
CONTRIBUTOR
Cal and George Jennison | Sherrod DeGrippo | SouthState Bank
PUPPETEER
Vanessa and Jeffrey Blake | Judy and Ed Garland | Sydney and Joel Langdon | The Realff Family | John Tester and Joseph Brooks
MARIONETTE
Arnall Golden Gregory LLP | Margo Brinton and Eldon Park | Gail and John Chandler | Shelley Hoffmann & Scott Bendzlowicz | Vir and Lucy Nanda | Allen W. Yee
2025 Event Committee
Joseph Brooks and Joseph King, String Fling Co-Chairs
Iymaani Aytes
Priscilla Carter
Sherrod DeGrippo
Judy Garland
Shelley Hoffmann
Mike Hostinsky
Janet King
Catherine Kraft
Sophie Merven
Sherri Wright
About the Center
Our Mission is to inspire imagination, education, and community through the global art of puppetry.
Our Vision: To be the premier puppetry center in the world through our performances, museum and educational programming. Click below to learn more.