By Courtney Thompson

*This article was published in the April 2019 edition of Georgia Magazine.

The fifth annual Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival will be held April 12-13 at the Union County Schools Fine Arts Center in Blairsville.

“Storytelling isn’t just as something people do. It’s who we are. All of us come from a rich tradition of stories and have our own stories to share,” says Amanda Lawrence, co-director of the festival.

The festival will include 25 storytellers, including nationally known tellers Dovie Thomason, Bobby Norfolk, Adam Booth, Ed Stivender and Claudia Schmidt. Attendees can expect to hear traditional Appalachian stories, classic fairy tales with a twist and more.

“It’s an all-ages event, and with the wide variety of storytellers who will be performing, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” Lawrence says. “The festival helps people learn from each other by listening to stories and sharing them, too.”

In addition to storytelling, the festival will feature music and children’s events, plus a workshop led by Norfolk on April 11, which is free for teachers.

For more information about the festival, visit gamountainstoryfest.org or call (828) 389-2654.