6th ANNUAL FLATWATER TALES STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES STORYTELLERS FOR JUNE 2 and 3, 2023
The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival has announced the nationally acclaimed storytellers for the 2023 performances. This annual event will return live to the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Friday, June 2 and Saturday June 3, 2023.
The two-day event will feature three storytellers Lyn Ford, Bil Lepp and Rev. Robert B. Jones, each known to audiences nationwide for their wit, wisdom and abilities to make audiences laugh, cry and reminisce. All three tellers will perform different stories at every show.
“A Teller of Home-Fried Tales,” Lyn Ford is a fourth generation, nationally recognized, Affrilachian* storyteller. In addition to being a writer (published in storytelling magazines and newsletters) she is a recording artist with award-winning CDs. Her “Home-Fried Tales” are folktale adaptations, spooky tales, and original stories rooted in Lyn’s family’s multicultural Affrilachian* storytelling traditions. *Afrilachian or Affrilachian: of African American heritage and history, from the region called Appalachia.
Bil Lepp, a five-time veteran of the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival, is the star of the History Channel’s “Man vs. History.” An award-winning storyteller, author and recording artist, Bil’s humorous family-friendly tall tales and stories have earned him the appreciation of listeners of all ages from all walks of life. Though a five-time champion of the West Virginia Liar’s Contest, Lepp’s stories often contain morsels of truth which present universal themes in clever and witty ways. His 28 books and audio collections have won numerous awards.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. is a native of Detroit and an inspirational storyteller and musician. He celebrates history, humor and the power of American Roots music. Whether he’s telling stories about growing up in his native Detroit, sharing tales about old blues musicians or inspirational stories drawn from history or scripture, Rev. Jones loves telling stories that reach both the mind and the heart.
He shares his deep love for traditional American and African American traditional music in live performances that interweave timeless stories with songs. For more than 30 years Rev. Jones has entertained and educated audiences of all ages at festivals, schools, colleges, libraries, union halls, prisons, churches and civil rights organizations. At the heart of his message is the belief that cultural diversity tells a story that should be celebrated, not just tolerated. He makes his home in Detroit and performs throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. An award-winning multi-instrumentalist, he is accomplished at guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo and fiddle has recorded many albums of original and traditional songs.
Our Friday and Saturday evening shows will include a special event by one of our tellers. On Friday, June 2, Rev Jones will headline with a musical theme, and on Saturday night, June 3, Bil Lepp will perform a special Oak Ridge-themed story, “I Guess Ol’ John Wasn’t Crazy After All: John Hendrix, the Prophet of Oak Ridge”. More details to follow.
On Thursday, June 1, Lyn Ford will lead a workshop,“Collecting Family Stories: Gathering and Creating Spoken and Written Narratives” from 12:30 to 3:30 at the UT Arboretum auditorium here in Oak Ridge.
Early bird tickets will be on sale before Christmas and can be purchased online at flatwatertales.com or at the Ferrell Shop in Oak Ridge. This is a great Christmas gift for all ages.
