Every October since 1973, thousands of travelers have visited Tennessee’s oldest town. They come for one purpose–to hear stories and to tell them at the National Storytelling Festival.
This celebration of America’s rich and varied storytelling tradition, the oldest and most respected gathering anywhere in America devoted to
(Photo by: Tom Raymond)
storytelling, has in turn spawned a national revival of this venerable art. ISC is excited to welcome you to the storytelling capital of the world October 6-8, 2024 to celebrate the power of storytelling.
Connie Regan-Blake will be emceeing at the festival again this year! Come early to enjoy music festivals and workshops!🌟 Spend an Unforgettable Weekend with us at the Alleghany Highlands Story Fest 🌟
The 3rd Annual Alleghany Highlands Story Fest happening October 25-26 at the Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge, VA. Get ready for a weekend that promises to transport you to other worlds through the power of storytelling.
What to Expect:
A storytelling concert is a live, immersive experience where master storytellers take the stage to weave tales filled with humor, adventure, wisdom, and heart. As the lights dim and the first words are spoken, you’ll find yourself drawn into vivid worlds, where characters come to life and adventures unfold right before your eyes. Saturday morning there is also an opportunity to attend one of the in-person Master Class Workshops from 10am to 12pm, either Cooking up Stories with Connie Regan-Blake, or The Storyteller’s Gym with David Novak.
Featuring:
A stellar lineup of storytellers—Connie Regan-Blake, David Novak, Amanda Lawrence, Gwendolyn Poole, Nick Baskerville, and Shannon Hummel—will captivate you with their unique styles and compelling stories.
A special pre-show performance of down here by Cora Dance on Saturday evening at 6:30 PM providing an unforgettable blend of storytelling and movement that will set the stage for an evening of wonder. Be sure to arrive early to enjoy this special event before the storytelling concert!
Whether you’re a fan of folklore, personal narratives, or tales of humor and suspense, this opening night concert offers something for everyone. Don’t miss this chance to experience the age-old tradition of storytelling in a way that’s both timeless and refreshingly new.
🎟️ Secure your tickets now for a weekend of unforgettable stories that will leave you spellbound!
📅 Date: October 25-26
📍 Location: Historic Masonic Theatre, Clifton Forge, VA
Come for the stories—leave with memories. Get your tickets today!
The tickets for this even are showing as “sold out” because the show is postponed. Please check back here for the new date and time.
Get your tickets here! Curious about where this show is? You can watch it from anywhere! Connie will be featured on the Music My Mother Would Not Like – (BUT Stories she would love!) streaming concert series. There is a sliding scale for tickets!
Bruce the producer usually offers music shows. I am delighted he is making forays into the story world. Let’s help him see there is a great audience for this kind of listening. Tuesday, December 17th will be an evening of storytelling with Mary Anne “Aunt Mama” Moorman and Connie Regan-Blake.
A NOTE FROM BRUCE SWAN: Necessity to interact with an audience and the artists gave way to the creation of the generally weekly streamed showcase series called Music My Mother Would Not Like. It would be part radio, part concert, part interaction with and audience as well as musicians but full salvation.
The series began at the end of June in 2020 as an experiment. It was not even called weekly at that point. That simple title was much more than we could have fathomed. We planned five shows. After the third show, we added four more to take us through August, by August we added shows to take us through the end of the year. To date, the venue has produced over 170 shows, presented over 550 artists, viewed by over 10,000 people, and raised well over $140K that has been distributed to the performers and crew. There is no end date in sight.
The Amelia Island Festival of Stories & Songs takes place from January 31–February 2, 2025 at the Story & Song Centre for Arts and Culture in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The festival features a variety of storytelling styles and content, including spoken and musical storytelling, and performances from both local favorites and nationally known performers. The Festival Performers feature Rick Bragg, Bil Lepp, Jason Woods, Connie Regan-Blake, April Armstrong, Kevin Kling, Jon Vezner, Cora Newcomb, Diane Johnson, Mary Martha Greene, Karthi Masters, Lil’ Rev, Sam Cobean. The festival’s goals are to celebrate diversity, preserve history, and perpetuate important elements of the human experience.
Connie Regan-Blake is presenting a workshop on Friday morning called “Cooking Up Stories” that is open to all levels. Connie will also be performing Saturday at 2 pm for “Kitchen Talk” and Saturday evening at 7:30 pm at the Headliner Event. Read more about the festival in this news article.
Come enjoy Connie telling stories in a mini concert at Universalist Unitarian Church of Jacksonville, Florida before the service. She’ll also be sharing a “Challenging the Untrue Stores We Tell Ourselves” as part of the service. All are welcome.
