TRENTON, Mo. — The Rumpelstiltskin Society will present the seventh annual PuppetFest Midwest July 7 to 12 at North Central Missouri College and Grundy County Jewett Norris Library.

The focus of the independent puppetry festival is workshops in such areas as puppet construction and manipulation. Those attending will spend 20 classroom hours with some of the best puppeteers in North America.

Every year, puppet enthusiasts from across the nation apply for scholarships to attend the festival. One of this year’s scholarship recipients is Matthew Burnett of Cameron, Mo.

The Rumpelstiltskin Society is a not-for-profit corporation that sponsors PuppetFest.

Most PuppetFest activities are designed for those who have pre-registered and will attend the entire program of workshops. However, the public is invited to performances and other events that have been scheduled throughout the week.

A puppet exhibit will be featured at the Dorris Rider Art Gallery on the North Central campus. The exhibit’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 9 and 10, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 11.

All performances are for adults and children 6 and over, and will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Hoover Theater on the library’s third floor.

The week’s public schedule will be as follows:

“Bark, George” will be presented by Paul Mesner and Mike Horner July 7. Paul Mesner Puppets of Missouri adapted the Jules Feiffer farce for the puppet stage.

“Puss in Boots” will be presented July 8 by Nick Barone Puppets of California. The performance is a half-hour comical retelling of the classic tale. The original version features 15 puppets in medieval costumes, all handcrafted specifically for the production.

“Nappy’s Puppets Present: Xmas in July” will be shown July 9 by Jim Napolitano. The performance will center on the five-part miniseries based on the book, “How Santa Got His Job,” by Stephen Krensky.

“The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” an updated, zany version of a classic tale, will be performed July 10 by Art Gruenberger of Puppet Art Theater of California.

“The Emperor’s New Clothes,” an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story, will be presented July 11 by Drew Allison of Grey Seal Puppets of North Carolina.

The box office opens a half hour before showtime. The library is located at 1331 Main St., adjacent to the North Central campus. Call festival directors Peter and Debbie Allen at (660) 684-6825 for more information. The festival’s Web site is www.puppetfestival.org.