A Most Excellent Storytelling Festival

“A Most Excellent Storytelling Festival” will be happening October 16th and 17th at the Broadway Events Center (BEC) at 5th and Broadway in Veneta.  It will be a weekend of enchantment and learning.  Mark Lewis, a two time Emmy award winning storyteller will be the emcee of the weekend, as well as telling a few stories of his own.

Friday night at 7pm will be an incredible evening of storytelling.  It will be for teens and up, including scary and more adult-themed tales. 

Saturday is a family day, beginning at 3pm with workshops taught by professionals – storytelling, acting, costuming, and more.  You will have a chance to attend two of them.  Learn how to craft a story, to punctuate it with props or costumes, to act out the story with your voice and movement, and other tricks.

At 5pm, all the workshop participants will have the chance to try out what they have learned in front of a live audience during the “Story Swap”.  Tell your story and listen to others.  Or just come and listen to what others have gleaned from working with the professionals. You will be amazed and amused.

Dinner comes at 6pm, with your choice of sub sandwich, chips and drink. There will also be entertainment to keep your brain busy while you fill your tummy.

At 7, the professional storytellers will take over the stage again, entertaining you with family-friendly tales of all kinds.  The stories will be suitable for any age, and understandable on many levels.

All admission is by donation.  Suggested donation for individual is $5 per event or $20 for the weekend.  For a family, $10 per event or $40 for the weekend.  Kids under 12 are free with an adult admission.  The ‘Story Swap’ is free for all.  You must register for workshops, as they are limited in size.  Call 935-3636 or email us at info @art-inc.org to reserve tickets or find out more information on the festival.

Storytellers from all around the area are coming to Veneta to entertain us all.  They will share their diverse lives and customs with us.  Storytelling is an ancient tradition that carries with it the magic of information, imagination and principle.  Enjoy the myths and folk tales and outrageous fabrications that will make you both laugh and cry.  Learn some of the ‘tricks of the trade’ and start to build your own collection of tales and anecdotes.  Join us for a ‘most excellent’ weekend.