Scenes from the 2023 National Storytelling Festival
Published October 30, 2023
On October 6–8, ISC was thrilled to host thousands of visitors for the 51st annual National Storytelling Festival, when Jonesborough came alive with stories and traditions from all over the world. With perfect company and *almost* perfect weather (just a little rain on Friday!), we couldn’t have asked for a better event. Thank you to everyone who attended—and for the people around the world who watched our livestream on Friday.
ISC is deeply grateful for our long-standing relationship with the talented photographers Jay Huron and Tom Raymond, who capture the joy and essence of the Festival every year. We’ve chosen a selection of some of our favorite images from this year. Please enjoy!
The Festival is known for the big-top tents that are scattered across Jonesborough. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
A scenic view of our big-top tents (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
A long-time fan shows off his collection of Festival swatches. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
New Voice Jasmin Cardenas shares a personal story about growing up as a first-generation American in Chicago. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
TUUP — the Unorthodox, Unprecedented Preacher — shares a traditional folk tale. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
The ISC ghoulies take a break from haunting the grounds of our open-air Ghost Stories event. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
Storyteller Geraldine Buckley shares a laugh with her audience. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
New Voice Don Flemons wows listeners with his musical prowess, especially on banjo. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
Storyteller Gene Tagaban in stunning Native American dress (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
Tova Friedman, who survived the concentration camps in World War II, speaks candidly about her experience during the Holocaust. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
The Jonesborough Novelty Band plays for the crowd, a long-time Festival tradition (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
Storyteller Len Cabral was an emcee this year. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
Storyteller Sheila Arnold (on left, photo credit: Jay Huron)
Big smiles from our audience (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
Bil Lepp tells a tall tale. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
Our audience “claps” in American Sign Language for storyteller Peter Cook, who is deaf. (Photo credit: Jay Huron)
The weather was almost perfect. (Photo credit: Tom Raymond)
Another collection of Festival swatches (photo credit: Tom Raymond)
