The More Tales Storytelling Festival in Wilmore, Kentucky will make its yearly return this fall. The festival takes place from Sept. 19 to 20 and is located in the Dan Glass Pavilion at the Wilmore Municipal Center.
The festival, which started in 2016, celebrates the art of storytelling and highlights its significance in Appalachian culture. More Tales is heavily influenced by the traditional, front-porch style of storytelling that is common in Appalachia. Its casual, communal atmosphere, combined with the history, works to keep the importance of storytelling alive and draw people into an enjoyable shared experience.
The festival consists of two days full of events. On Friday, spooky stories and thrillers will be told from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturday, the festival starts early with various storytellers scheduled to perform their tales at 10 a.m. In the afternoon, there will be a break from the stories and The Barely Shaken String Band will perform.
Immediately following the band’s performance, the Tall Tales Contest will commence. The Tall Tales contest, also known as the “liars contest,” is a tradition for the festival and something everyone can participate in.
The contest itself allows anyone, both amateurs and professional storytellers, to tell a family-friendly, lighthearted story that starts out normal, then progresses into something ridiculous. The contest has a cash prize for the top three winners, and gives the overall winner an opportunity to perform their story.
Although many parts of the schedule are not yet public, there will be a variety of speakers, music and stories at the festival. This event will give students a chance to connect with the community, support fellow storytellers and interact with professional storytellers.
For more information about the event, and to register for the Tall Tales Contest, contact organizers through the More Tales website: www.moretalesstoryfest.org. The event is free, the only thing people need to bring is their imagination.
Photo courtesy of Visit Jessamine.
