Return of the Buffalo, a performance piece produced by St. Ann’s Warehouse, will take to the streets of Tribeca and the Financial District on Friday, with 40 life-sized buffalo puppets brought to life by volunteers and performers.

The herd will roam, graze and run wild through Lower Manhattan from 5 to 7:30p on September 18, starting at Bowling Green and ending in Foley Square, with artistic events popping up along the route. (They will also take Downtown Brooklyn on September 19.)

As the buffalo herd moves along its route, dozens of acclaimed actors, civic leaders, gospel choirs, dance troupes, marching bands, and prominent musicians will animate the parks and plazas of Downtown with live performances. You can volunteer to be a puppeteer here; training takes place for a five days starting September 12.

Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi (which means the same thing in Lakota) was created by Amir Nizar Zuabi, the award-winning playwright and director, and conceived in partnership with the Elders of the Lenape and Lakota Tribes. Zuabi was the founding artistic director of ShiberHur Theater Company in Palestine, an associate director of the Young Vic Theatre, a member of the United Theaters Europe for artistic achievement, and an alumni of The Sundance Institute Theatre Program.

For this production, he enlisted Bryan Doerries as creative director, Adam Shore and David Bither as music directors, and JJ Lind as artistic director. The Puppetry Design is by Ukwanda Puppets of South Africa, and the puppetry director is Craig Leo.

Featured artists include Sam Waterston, Rhiannon Giddens, Laurie Anderson, Nathalie Joachim, Dither, Caridad De La Luz, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Native Pride Dancers, Pilobolus, Fogo Azul marching band, Heather Christian and the Terce Choir, and Brooklyn United Marching Band.