Athens Storytelling Festival

 This year was to be the Fifteenth Athens Storytelling Festival.  Everything was scheduled and on go when the tent company announced that all their tents has gone of  the Gulf region for hurricane relief.  All the tent rental places in four states were contacted and they all had about the same story.  So, Athens is again virtual this year.

Instead of trying to record at home, Trish and I came on down to Athens on our way to California.  Then the plan was made for me to tell stories at a festival booster dinner.  It was a wonderful event for about a hundred and fifty people. They are all missing their festival!

Look forward now to this year’s Virtual Festival.

If you go to athensstorytellingfestival.com you can get signed up for the Virtual Festival.  It will begin to be broadcast November 12-13, but can viewed after that all the way through Thanksgiving.

Part of the Athens Festival charm is the inclusion of school children.  In normal years about 9,000 students come to the big tent of storytelling field trips.   This year, no field trips, but, the student tellers here have still been active.  

Working with Leah Oakley the students have chosen or written their stories.  On Wednesday evening I got to meet with those tellers and their families and tell them a story and give them presentation hints. Eight of the youth tellers told their stories in concert that night and then three of them were chosen to tell with me the following evening at the dinner event.  They were great.

We are all looking forward to next year when the Festival in Athens will be held the week of October 16-22.  It is one of our favorite events!