An eccentric puppet cast — including a shy artist mouse who needs the crowd to coax him out — performs two free, walk-up shows for families in SoMa on August 14.

Joe Leon's Caterpillar Puppets will perform two free shows at the Children's Garden, Yerba Buena Gardens, this Friday, August 14 — at 11:00 AM and again at noon, each running 30 minutes. The venue is 799 Howard St. in SoMa, between Third and Fourth Streets.

The shows are part of the festival's Children's Garden Series, designed for kids under 10 and their adults. Leon's puppets aren't a straight fairy-tale retread: the cast includes the Big Bad Wolf alongside Amadeus, a shy artist mouse who needs the audience to coax him onstage. The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival calls it an "eccentric menagerie" that "draws audiences of all ages into seemingly familiar stories that take unexpected turns."

Walk-up only, no RSVP. Bring a blanket or a low lawn chair.

Getting there: Powell and Montgomery BART/Muni stations are each two blocks away. Muni lines 14 Mission, 30 Stockton, and 45 Union/Stockton run directly past the Gardens. If you're driving, ybgfestival.org has a nearby parking garage map — but for a 30-minute morning show, the BART walk is the easier call.