Over 40 years ago, a high school journalism teacher and a carload of students heard Grand Ole Opry regular Jerry Clower spin a tale over the radio about coon hunting in Mississippi. And the teacher, Jimmy Niel Smith, had a sudden inspiration: Why not have a storytelling festival right here in northeast Tennessee?
The festival now, in its 42nd year and acclaimed as one of the top 100 events in North America, sparked a renaissance of storytelling across the country. To spearhead the revival, Smith and a few other story lovers founded the National Storytelling Association. The founding organization became the center of an ever-widening movement that continues to gain momentum to this day.
This app allows you to view the schedule for the storytelling festival, plan your personal schedule and gain additional information about storytellers and events being held.