Characters will be welcome in downtown Tryon tomorrow.
Anansi, the Spiderman of Africa; Jesse Siak, the roving juggler; Marcie, the balloon fairy; the tortoise and the hare from “Aesop’s Fables,” magician Arthur Trace – these are just a few of the characters who will entertain on the stages and streets of Tryon tomorrow during Super Saturday, the 33rd Children’s Theater Festival.
Added to the featured entertainers will be all the children dressed up as knights, princesses and dragons for this year’s costume contest, held during the parade at 12:15 down Melrose Avenue.
This year’s Super Saturday line-up of performers includes (see the box on p. 4 for a schedule of events):
• International award-winning magician Arthur Trace
• 19-time national clogging champions the Bailey Mountain Cloggers
• The Tarradiddle Players with the “Commedia Princess and the Pea”
• Crabgrass Puppet Theatre with “Anansi, the Spiderman of Africa”
• “Aesop’s Fables” from Bright Star Touring Theater
• Juggler Marcus Monroe
• T-Bone’s Camp Muckalucka
• Poet Allan Wolf
The entertainment options won’t be limited to the indoor shows, however. FENCE will present a Mini-PeopleChase on the Green Corner, caricature artist Josh Grubbs and Tracy Owenby’s Fancy Folds Origami  will draw and fold to please children and adults and Hou-Tien Cheng, master Chinese paper cutter, will create paper art in the gazebo across from the Tryon Fine Arts Center. The community stage will feature free entertainment, too.
In addition, of course, there will be face painting, wandering music, juggling and other performers, plus hot dogs, pizza, burgers, BBQ and more at the food court in the  Baptist Church parking lot.
This year, to give patrons more time to get from one venue to another for the next show, the time between shows has been extended 15 minutes. Shows will begin at 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. and 1:15 and 2:30 p.m.
This year’s Super Saturday’s overall sponsor is the Turner/Tennant Foundation.

Super Saturday performance schedule

Tryon Movie Theater
9:30 a.m.    Marcus Monroe, Juggling
10:45 a.m.    Bright Star Touring Theater – “Aesop’s Fables”
1:15 p.m.    Marcus Monroe, Juggling
2:30 p.m.    Bright Star Touring Theater – “Aesop’s Fables”
Tryon Fine Arts Center
9:30 a.m.    Bailey Mountain Cloggers
10:45 a.m.    Arthur Trace, Magic
1:15 p.m.     Bailey Mountain Cloggers
2:30 p.m.    Arthur Trace, Magic
Episcopal Parish Hall
9:30 a.m.    Crabgrass Puppets – “Anansi, the Spiderman of
Africa”
10:45 a.m.    Crabgrass Puppets – “Anansi, the Spiderman of
Africa”
1:15 p.m.    Tarradiddle Players – “Commedia Princess & the
Pea”
2:30 p.m.    Tarradiddle Players – “Commedia Princess & the
Pea”
Congregational Church
930 a.m.    T-Bone – “Camp Muckalucka” music
10:45 a.m.    Allan Wolf, Poetry
1:15 p.m.    T-Bone – “Camp Muckalucka” musisc
2:30 p.m.    Allan Wolf, Poetry