The Lanier Library will present its annual childrens program at the library on Sunday, July 25 at 2 p.m. The program is free and everyone is welcome.

For more than 15 years, puppeteer Susan VandeWeghe worked in partnership with Dave Herzog and the AniMart Puppet Theater in Chicago. Together they performed around 350 shows a year in schools, libraries, and entertainment venues, such as the Navy Pier, throughout the city. In 1999 VandeWeghe moved to Cedar Mountain, N.C., where she established her own company, Mountain Marionettes, with which she now tours throughout the southeast.

Mountain Marionettes uses short strung marionettes with the puppeteer in full view of the audience. This form of puppetry, known as cabaret style, was developed in Paris for performing in night clubs but has been adapted for audiences of all ages. The companys marionettes are hand crafted in their own workshops and they include numerous colorful and unique characters.

The Lanier Librarys annual children program is made possible by a grant from the Kirby Foundation Endowment Fund and the Polk County Community Foundation. The Lanier Library is located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Melrose Avenue in Tryon.