COOKEVILLE – An opportunity to unleash your inner storyteller awaits.
Cookeville Leisure Services’ sixth annual Storyfest in the Park on May 4 is now a two-day event with the addition of storytelling workshops for adults and children the Friday before the festival, May 3.
“We’ve always wanted to expand the scope of Storyfest,” Beth Thompson, Cookeville museums manager and Storyfest coordinator, said. “Last year, we added the amateur competition. This year, we asked our two headlining storytellers, Connie Regan-Blake and Andy Offutt Irwin to lead workshops the day before the festival for community members to join in the fun.”
Participants are encouraged to register now as space is limited. The adult workshops are $25 each or $40 for both, while the two children’s workshops are free. All workshops will be held at Cookeville First United Methodist Church, 165 E. Broad St.
“We are so fortune to have nationally known storytelling talent for both the workshops and the festival itself,” Thompson said. “The workshops are sure to add another element of enjoyment and engagement for all who decide to partake.”
Regan-Blake will be teaching the two adult workshops – “The Art and Heart of Stories” from 9 a.m.-noon and “Cooking Up Stories” from 1-4 p.m.
Participants may register for either workshop at the Cookeville Performing Arts Center, 10 E. Broad Street, or by calling 931-528-1313. Online registration is available at www.cpactn.com.
“Participants in the adult workshops will enjoy creative, fun exercises in a supportive atmosphere that wake up and encourage the storyteller that is in all of us,” Thompson said.
Irwin will be leading the two free workshops for kids.
The first session, to be held 4:15-5 p.m., is geared toward younger children and will be more like a fun show. The second, 5:15-6 p.m., will be a workshop format for ages 9 and up in which participants will learn to develop their own story.
Both of the children’s workshops are free, but participants must pre-register by calling the Cookeville History Museum at 931-520-5455.
“The opportunity to participate in storytelling workshops doesn’t come to Cookeville often, so any interested kids and adults should be sure to take part in this rare treat,” Thompson said.
The second day of Storyfest in the Park, May 4, is a free event at Dogwood Park from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. featuring professional storytellers from across the region, including headliners Regan-Blake and Irwin. The event will also include an amateur storytelling competition, which gives locals an opportunity to present their talents before an audience. An event schedule will be released soon.
For more information about Storyfest in the Park, call Thompson at 931-528-8570.