Bring Out Your Fears
Night of Dread is Clay and Paper Theatre’s beloved October ritual—an immersive, family-friendly festival where art and community come together to confront our darkest fears together. Through giant puppets, pageantry, music, and hands-on creation, we transform dread into collective power and celebration.
About Night of Dread
For 26 years, Clay and Paper Theatre’s Night of Dread Festival has invited the Davenport community to gather in the fall and confront what frightens us - both personally and collectively. Running from October 8 to 24, 2026, this much-loved, free, multi-arts festival creates space to call on, mock, and ultimately banish our fears, big and small, for ourselves, our neighborhoods, and our world.
Throughout October, the festival offers free, public, hands-on workshops where participants can help create puppets, masks, props, shadow shows, and costumes. These creative gatherings culminate in a powerful theatrical park pageant featuring giant puppets, fire spinners, stilt walkers, installations and live music. Through art-making, puppetry, music, and ritual, Night of Dread invites us to face the darkness together and transform our fears into collective action.
Please check out and download our Night of Dread 2026 poster designed by Brenna Nanie.
Key Festival Dates
Night of Dread art-making opportunities span three weeks during the month of October. Some of our specialized programming, like the Phoenix Choir (for youth 18 to 25), extends past the Festival itself. Youth continue to meet, build a repertoire and contribute to other Clay and Paper Theatre programming events.
October 8 - 3 to 7pm Dufferin Grove Organic Farmer’s Market
Opening Event
October 17 and 18 Cyanotype Printmaking Workshops to create the installation The Garden of Tomorrow Today
Free Workshops
Phoenix Choir
September 30 to October 24 A Youth Choir for 18 to 25 year olds
October 9 to 16 Drop-in puppet, mask, props and costume creation studio
Community Studio
October 20 (Rain Date: October 21) - Evening Various roles available to support the final Pageant event
Volunteer Training
October 24 - 5 to 8:30pm A theatrical park procession and pageant featuring giant puppets, fire spinners, stilt walkers, installations and live music
Night of Dread Pageant
The Night of Dread Experience
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Cyanotype Printmaking Workshop
Make a sun-printed image from leaves, flowers, and found objects, that will be part of the Night of Dread installation, The Garden of Tomorrow Today.
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The Phoenix Choir
Sing together! This choir for 18 to 25 year olds is rooted in folk polyphony and soundscape creation, with an emphasis on folk music connected to land, ritual, & community.
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Community Studio
Explore different puppet building, print and art making techniques. Help us build the Fear of the Year image, make and repair puppets, costumes, masks and props.
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Volunteering
Be a puppeteer, event assistant or park steward. Whatever your volunteering goals, Night of Dread has a role for you!
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Pageant
Everything you need to know about the main event: park map and guide, performance schedule, and the spectacular line up of artists.
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FAQs
What to wear, what to bring, accessibility info, how to participate. Check out our Most Frequently Asked Questions section.
Want to participate, sponsor, or collaborate?
Email clayandpaper@gmail.com