The Tortoise and the Hare will square off in Fratello Marionettes’ production of the titular Aesop fable at Benicia State Parks Association’s Vintage Games and Icre Cream Social event, Saturday, July 30 at the Benicia State Capitol. (Photo courtesy of Mike Caplin)

Toward the end of the month, the lawns of the Benicia State Capitol will be awash with ice cream, marionette animals and 19th-century games. In other words, it is a date Benicia children will be asking their parents to mark on their calendars.

For the second year, the Benicia State Parks Association will be hosting its Vintage Games and Ice Cream Social event at the Capitol on Saturday, July 30. Last year, Danville-based puppet troupe Fratello Marionettes came by to perform the Brother’s Grimm’s classic fairy tale “The Frog Prince” with a cast of marionettes. The performance was a big hit with last year’s audience according to Benicia State Parks Association spokesperson Mike Caplin, so the organization wanted to do it again. This year, Fratello Marionettes will be returning to Benicia, only this time they will be performing three classic stories.

“Carnival of the Animals” will feature marionette renditions of “The Three Little Pigs,” “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Ugly Duckling,” all set to the whimsical compositions of French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saens.

Fratello Marionettes was founded in 1989 by Kevin Menegus, a graduate of the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music. Menegus and his company have performed all across Northern California and have even been featured on a few cruise lines. The marionettes range from 1 foot to 3 feet tall and are performed using cabaret-style manipulation, in which the puppets and puppeteers are in full view of the audience.

“Children and their parents seem to just really love it,” Caplin said. “(Menegus) establishes a real connection with his audience.”

Caplin, who has seen Fratello Marionettes’ work in the past, also praised how life-like the puppets appear to be.

In addition, kids will be able to enjoy the taste of old-fashioned, hand-churned ice cream and play with such vintage toys as Jacob’s ladder and 19th-century games like croquet and hoop rolling.

“It’s basically the types of games that were played around the time that Benicia was the capital,” Caplin said.

The event will be bookended by a performance by bagpiper Lloyd Christiansen, who will play at the beginning and closing of the event. The event will have something to offer for all children of Benicia and their parents.

“It’s a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon,” Caplin said.

The program will begin at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, July 30, with the vintage games, and the show will start at 2 p.m. Ice cream will be served after the performance. The event is free and open to all ages. Adults must accompany their children as no child care will be provided. The Benicia State Capitol is located at 115 West G St. The event is sponsored by Benicia State Parks Association, City of Benicia Arts and Culture Commission, and California State Parks. For additional information, visit ProtectBeniciaStateParks.org or call 745-3385.

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