2025 National Storytelling Festival Preview | | |
The National Storytelling Festival is just five weeks away! (We can barely believe it ourselves. What happened to summer?) If you don’t have your tickets yet, go ahead and circle the dates on your calendar: October 3 – 5.
It has become a Festival tradition to profile storytellers featured in our lineup for the first time. This year, we have four “New Voices,” and we hope you have as much fun meeting them as we did.
| | We Have a New Venue at the National Storytelling Festival! | |
The open-air tents and the bustling crowds are an integral part of the National Storytelling Festival experience. But we know there might be times when you long for a break — perhaps a snack, a little air conditioning, and a more comfortable seat.
Well, we've got you. This year, the Festival is partnering with the historic Jackson Theatre in Jonesborough for select ticketed events. Learn more about the shows and reserve your spots today.
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2025 Legacy Series: Taps on the Walls with
John Borling
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A retired major general in the U.S. Air Force, John Borling's military career spanned some 33 years. A highly decorated fighter pilot, Borling was shot down by ground fire in North Vietnam in June 1966. Seriously injured, he was captured and spent over six and a half years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. During captivity, Borling created and shared poems with fellow prisoners using a secret tap code, which decades later were published in a collection titled 'Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton.'
| | The Story of Storytelling Exhibit On Display | | |
For the first time, this year’s National Storytelling Festival will feature an exhibit exploring the history of storytelling in Jonesborough. Curated by the Heritage Alliance, the display in the ISC lobby traces the evolution of the festival, the International Storytelling Center, and the businesses that once stood on its site from the Cox Block in the 1800s to Lavender’s Market in the 1950s.
Artifacts, recordings, and stories honor both the town’s past and the legacy of festival founder Jimmy Neil Smith. The exhibit opens during the Festival, October 3–5 and will stay open through the end of the year.
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Roots Revival Fundraiser in
Mt. Airy, NC
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Hosted by the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina, Roots Revival is a concert series that supports Western North Carolina musicians and bands in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, providing them with opportunities and connections throughout the region.
On September 21, at 3 pm, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, BRMT is welcoming Connie Regan-Blake, Michael Reno Hall, Sheila Kay Adams, and Josh Goforth for a night of North Carolina stories.
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Collecting
Jimmy Neil Smith Stories at the NSF
| We all miss our friend Jimmy Neil Smith. Sign up to share a memory about festival founder Jimmy Neil during the Storytelling Festival. We're collecting stories about the legend himself. Interviews are on the upper floor of the Jackson Theatre (121 W Main Street). Come and share a 10, 15, 30, or even 60-minute story/memory. Stories will be preserved in the StoryTown archives and ISC archives. They may also be shared in the StoryTown Radio Show, in community plays, and in future ISC programming. | | | Volunteer at the National Storytelling Festival for FREE tickets! | It takes hundreds of volunteers to make the National Storytelling Festival run smoothly. There are many volunteer positions at the Festival for individuals, students, and community groups. Plus, you can get a swatch to the National Storytelling Festival by volunteering before the Festival or during the event. | | | |
Coming Soon:
Kids Institute
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Coming November 3-7, this story-based learning initiative pairs the Tennessee State Board of Education Academic Standards with an immersive performing arts experience to create a unique educational opportunity for teachers and students. This year, students will learn about American polymath, inventor, engineer, artist, and philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller, told by storyteller David Novak.
Kids Institute is supported by funding from the East Tennessee Foundation so that it may be offered to regional fifth graders AT NO COST to students.
| | | You don't have to spend a lot of time or money to become an advocate for the arts. Here's a simple and direct way to show your love if you're a Tennessee resident: purchase a specialized license plate. | | Not in Tennessee? No worries! Learn how to get an Arts Advocacy license plate in your state! | | We are the International Storytelling Center | | Building a Better World Through the Power of Storytelling | | ISC is proud to produce world-class storytelling events alongside applied storytelling programming and educational resources. You are an integral part of our movement to build a better world through the power of storytelling. Consider showing some love by making a one-time gift or becoming a regular donor today. | | In association with the Smithsonian Institution. | | | | |
