The Muppets Take Meisel

Kermit and Co. will be moving right along to Springfield, thanks to Union County. As part of the county's Family Flix series, puppet masterpiece The Muppet Movie will play in Meisel Park in Springfield on Tuesday, July 27. In the spirit of the film, children will make their own paper-bag hand puppet before the movie. 

It's one of two Family Flix movies screening in Springfield; Shrek 2 will play on Tuesday, August 3 at  Meisel. The movie will be preceded by a performance from the The Mystic Vision Players community theatre company of Linden.

A full list of Family Flix movies, courtesy of Union County, is below: 

• Tuesday, June 29 at Warinanco Park on the border of Roselle and Elizabeth; The Union County 4-H Club will demonstrate the skills of seeing-eye dogs at 7:15 p.m., before a screening of 1992 Charles Grodin comedy "Beethoveen."
• Tuesday, July 6 at Warinanco Park: USA Soccer players will demonstrate their soccer skills and hold a shoot-out before the screening of "The Little Rascals."
• Tuesday, July 13 at Warinanco Park: a display presented by the Union County 4-H Small Animals Club will be followed by the animated feature film, "The Tale of Despereaux."
• Tuesday, July 27 at Meisel Park in Springfield: enjoy making your own paper-bag hand puppet before watching "The Muppet Movie."
• Tuesday, August 3 at Meisel Park: singers from The Mystic Vision Players community theatre company of Linden will entertain the audience before "Shrek 2."
• Tuesday, August 17 at Nomahegan Park in Cranford: Trailside naturalists will lead a Dusk Stroll in the park to see if evening noises are monsters and aliens or simply bullfrogs and katydids, before the showing of "Monsters vs. Aliens."
• Tuesday, August 24 at Nomahegan Park: Watchung Stable staff members will guide lead-line rides on horses for youngsters before the adventure comedy, "Racing Stripes."