Special Events
Did I Really Do That? with Donald Davis
September 30 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
$20Join us in the Library Tent for a collection of tales from Donald’s early years—and the laughter and lessons gathered along the way. With his trademark warmth and wit, Davis...
Create Your Story: A Writing Workshop with Minton Sparks
October 1 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
$95Participants will explore the connections between identity, place, and memory as they shape their own narratives into poems, performances, or other creative work. No writing or performance experience necessary. Sparks...
Collecting and Retelling Family Stories with Hannah Harvey
October 1 @ 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
$95Discover the art and ethics of collecting and sharing family stories in this interactive workshop on oral history, family research, and archival storytelling. Topics include interviewing relatives, honoring elders, navigating...
Funny is a Skill with Paul Strickland
October 1 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
$95Designed for both beginning and experienced storytellers, this workshop breaks down why stories are funny and how to use humor beyond just laughs. Learn to use timing, contrast, escalation, surprise,...
Voices of the Blue Ridge with Josh Goforth and Michael Reno Harrell
October 1 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
$20A collaboration between nationally recognized storytellers and musicians Michael Reno Harrell and Josh Goforth feels like it was meant to be. Hailing from the Blue Ridge region of western North...
Swappin Grounds
October 2 @ 12:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Friday, 12:30–6 PM Saturday, 9–12 PM & 3 PM–6 PM Sunday, 12:30 PM–2:30PM At the first National Storytelling Festival in 1973, a handful of storytellers gathered around the courthouse in...
A Memoir of 9/11 with Chief (ret.) Joseph Pfeifer
October 2 @ 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
$20As part of the National Storytelling Festival’s acclaimed Legacy Series, the International Storytelling Center is honored to welcome retired FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer for two special appearances commemorating the...
Ghost Stories
October 2 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
$10A long-standing Festival tradition, two nights of terror await you in these open-air ghost story concerts. Award-winning storytellers Tim Lowry and Connie Regan-Blake have appeared at festivals and theatres across...
Yoga in the Park
October 3 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Deborah Byrd is an RYT200 certified yoga instructor whose main practice and training are in vinyasa, yin, and hatha styles. Her interest in yoga has been threaded through the last...
Swappin Grounds
October 3 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Friday, 12:30–6 PM Saturday, 9–12 PM & 3 PM–6 PM Sunday, 12:30 PM–2:30PM At the first National Storytelling Festival in 1973, a handful of storytellers gathered around the courthouse in...
A Memoir of 9/11 with Chief (ret.) Joseph Pfeifer
October 3 @ 11:30 am – 12:45 pm
$20As part of the National Storytelling Festival’s acclaimed Legacy Series, the International Storytelling Center is honored to welcome retired FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer for two special appearances commemorating the...
Swappin Grounds
October 3 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Friday, 12:30–6 PM Saturday, 9–12 PM & 3 PM–6 PM Sunday, 12:30 PM–2:30PM At the first National Storytelling Festival in 1973, a handful of storytellers gathered around the courthouse in...
Story Slam
October 3 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Join the fun as these Story Slam tellers compete for the best 5-minute story! Content suitable for a general audience ages 12 and up. 2026 Participants: Liubov Ananeva Renay Daigle ...
Ghost Stories
October 3 @ 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
$10A long-standing Festival tradition, two nights of terror await you in these open-air ghost story concerts. Award-winning storytellers Tim Lowry and Connie Regan-Blake have appeared at festivals and theatres across...
After Hours with Minton Sparks Featuring musical guest John Jackson
October 3 @ 9:30 pm – 10:45 pm
$20Minton Sparks fuses an intoxicating gift for storytelling with wildly original poetry in performances that paint vivid images of being raised in and around the rural South. Her signature blend...
Yoga in the Park
October 4 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Deborah Byrd is an RYT200 certified yoga instructor whose main practice and training are in vinyasa, yin, and hatha styles. Her interest in yoga has been threaded through the last...
Swappin Grounds
October 4 @ 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Friday, 12:30–6 PM Saturday, 9–12 PM & 3 PM–6 PM Sunday, 12:30 PM–2:30PM At the first National Storytelling Festival in 1973, a handful of storytellers gathered around the courthouse in...