The Secret Mountain at Kids POP

On Sunday, September 26, join The Secret Mountain and Kids POP for a picnic in the sun, paper bag puppet parade, and family concert! This activity-packed day will celebrate the release of a new musical picture book, A Picnic in the Sun, by Christiane Duchesne, Jérôme Minière, and illustrated by Marianne Ferrer.

The day starts at 12 p.m. with a picnic in the sun, and a paper bag puppet-building workshop at Saint Viateur Park, with craft supplies included. Then kids and their families will hit the road with their puppets for a festive puppet parade down Bernard Avenue—complete with a marching band.

*Please note that the picnic portion of the event is sold out, however there are still tickets available for the concert.*

After the raucous parade, guests arrive at Rialto Theatre for the main event: A children’s concert with performances by Clerel, Geneviéve Toupin, Jérôme Minière, and José Major! Co-presented with La Petite Drawn & Quarterly, the concert will feature sing-along songs and animations from A Picnic in the Sun. Get your tickets for the concert here.

Before festivities wrap, kids can share a picture of their puppets with The Secret Mountain for a chance to see their creation brought to life—as a stuffed toy—by the studio boutique Raplapla! All activities are accessible by a $5 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Montreal.

A Picnic in the Sun is available online and at local bookstores, including La Petite Drawn & Quarterly. In addition to the illustrated story, the hardcover picture book includes a CD and digital album with the narrated story and 18 songs.

Paper Bag Puppet Contest 

Create a puppet inspired by A Picnic in the Sun and share it with The Secret Mountain for a chance to win a custom stuffed-toy version by studio-boutique Raplala. Winner will be drawn Friday, October 1, 2021.

1. Read A Picnic in the Sun for inspiration.

2. Gather supplies and create your puppet.

3. Send a picture to contest@thesecretmountain.com.