Join us in Downs for our annual celebration of the art of storytelling. Every year, on the last full weekend in April, we gather to showcase the finest professional tellers and highlight Festival audience favorites. Prepare to be enchanted by captivating tales from master storytellers, immerse yourself in the excitement of the Tall Tale Contest, and discover the rich tapestry of Local Legends. With a lineup of engaging events and activities, there's something for everyone to enjoy at the Kansas Storytelling Festival.

Schedule:

Friday, April 26, 2024

1:30-2:45 PM
Dino O’Dell and Bil Lepp
Memorial Hall

3:00-3:45 PM
Memorial Hall
Andy Offutt Irwin -"Risk Assessment"

Depot (Workshop)
Ann Rutherford -"How Stories Fuel Your Brain"

Christian Church
Kim Weitkamp Gum -"Smile While You Still Have Teeth"

4:00-4:45 PM
Memorial Hall (Legends)
Frederick J. Hulaniski
Jesse & Sarah Hendricks
Luan Warner

Depot (Workshop)
Bil Lepp -"Still Lying and Still Getting Away with It"

Christian Church
Dino O’Dell -"Around the World: Music and Stories from Planet Earth"

5:00-6:30 PM
Senior Center
Supper with the Storytellers (additional admission)

7:00-9:15 PM
Memorial Hall (Tall Tales Contest)
Noah Hansen, Garry Bichelmeyer, Larry Temple, and Rich White vie for the Shovel
Olio of Featured Tellers and Legends Admission with All Performance button or $5.

9:30-10:15 PM
Memorial Hall (Ghost Stories)
Anne Rutherford

Saturday, April 27, 2024

8:00 AM
United Methodist Church
Breakfast "Good Morning! Good Food!" (additional admission)

10:00-10:45 AM
Memorial Hall
Bil Lepp -"That Aint the Whole Plan"

Depot (Workshop)
Dino O’Dell -"How to Teach Earthlings; Music, Stories and Movement"

Christian Church
Kim Weitkamp Gum -"Don’t Blame Me I Was Left Unsupervised"

Senior Center
Anne Rutherford -"Tales From the Heart"

11:00-11:45 AM
Memorial Hall (Legends)
Frederick J. Hulaniski
Jesse & Sarah Hendricks
Luan Warner

Depot
Anne Rutherford -"3 Lies and Some Truth"

Christian Church
Dino O’Dell -"Out of the World: Music and Stories from Space"

Senior Center
Andy Offutt Irwin -"Ike’s Train"

2:00-2:45 PM
Memorial Hall
Dino O’Dell -"Life on Earth: Dragonflies, Dinosaurs and Dalmations"

Depot (Workshop)
Kim Weitkamp Gum -"Golden Rules of Storytelling"
Bring a story idea to the workshop. Drama, adventure, hilarious, poignan. This workshop is 40% teaching, 40% group exercises, and 10% group Q&A.

Christian Church
Andy Offutt Irwin -"Perpetual Calendar"

Senior Center
Bil Lepp -"Chaos Doesn’t Happen On Its Own"

3:00-3:45 PM
Memorial Hall (Master Storytellers) Sam Seymore, Mike Nyhoff, Kenneth Lee, Allen DeBey, and Keyta Kelly improvise on your ideas

Depot (Workshop)
Andy Offutt Irwin -"Humor, Wit, Storytelling, and Connection for Deep Enduring Learning"

Christian Church
Anne Rutherford -"Wild West Adventures"

Senior Center
Kim Weitkamp Gum -"Oldies But Goodies"

4:00-4:45 PM
Memorial Hall (Swappin Ground) An open-mic opportunity for you to tell your story.

5:00-6:30 PM
Senior Center
Supper with the Storytellers (additional admission)

7:00 PM - Grand Finale
Memorial Hall
Kim Weitkamp Gum, Bil Lepp and Andy Offutt Irwin Admission with All Performance button or $5

Date: April 26 - 27, 2024

Location: Various Venues in Downs, KS 67437

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