The Storytelling Festival

Life, narrated and animated through the words of a story.

When we lived in Texas we were excited to receive an invitation to Frisco's Storytelling Festival. I had been writing for Frisco Style Magazine and was asked to cover the event. Being from California, I wondered what all the excitement was about. I left the festival, and the article, amazed.

The festival served as a family and community event set amongst a number of tents. It almost looked like a small circus come to town save their were no animals, just colorful personalities disguised as professional storytellers.

At least eight storytellers were in the lineup. I remember one who shared stories of her childhood as an American Indian growing up on the reservation, enthralled by the stories of her grandmother. Another Storyteller told outlandish tales from the Appalachians. Another had a banjo and between the music and the whimsical stories you were left with a laughter induced belly-ache. It's hard to describe. I wish I could bottle it all up and give it to you.

I wish you could open the bottle under the dim fairy lights and hear the whispers, the murmurs. Then you could smell the fresh sweets nearby and listen to the cacadia's outside while you wait. Then you would hear the voices of the storytellers as their words float over the hearts and minds of their audiences, you would experience the hush that falls over the children as their eyes grow wide and their mouth slowly and silently opens in awe. Then you'd know.

I've been thinking about the festival lately, probably because folks are planning for it back in Frisco. Storytellers are lined up, not just for the festival itself, but for the educational side of the program.

A couple of the storytellers visit the elementary schools and perform their stories in the classroom. Between their visit and the festival the schools all hold their own Storytelling contests, whittling down their talent to one child who will represent them in the festival. sending a winner of their contests from each school to the festival to perform throughout the event. I thought, "I wish we could do this in Aptos". But then I thought, "maybe we can!"