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Appalachian folklore

By: Isabella Pena

   If you are visiting Tennessee or are simply looking for something new to do, a unique festival in Jonesborough may be what you are looking for. Every October, the city of Jonesborough holds a National Storytelling Festival held by the International Storytelling Center. As the name suggests, the International Storytelling Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing stories from all over the world and has its headquarters stationed in Jonesborough, Tennessee. The city itself is 100 to 110 miles northeast of Powell, or just about a two-hour drive. Interestingly enough, it is also the oldest town in Tennessee. Being first founded and established in 1779, just three years shy of our country’s age, standing at 247 years old! 

     Back on the topic of the festival itself, the National Storytelling Festival invites people from all over America and other countries to share their stories! The most common avenues to get to tell your story are through the Teller-in-Residence program and Storytellers Guild, the latter of which actually convenes throughout the year, separate from the festival itself. The Teller-in-Residence program operates from May to October, which offers week-long storytelling sessions by a multitude of different speakers.

     Large, circus-esque tents are put up for the storytellers of the national festival, usually housing a total of 10,000 people across them all. This tradition has lasted for just over 50 years now, starting with just a few curious Americans who traveled to Jonesborough in search of Appalachian stories to hear. The National Storytelling Festival is a great place to visit if you enjoy hearing stories and folklore from all around the U.S. and the world!


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