OGDEN, Utah — Over the next few days, thousands of people will be at Weber State University for the 29th annual storytelling festival. It's a three-day event held at the Student Union and select other locations on campus, where Utahns can hear stories from storytellers of all levels, from beginners to professionals.
"It's so fun because some of the people who came to this festival as children are now bringing their children to the festival," said Sam Payne, Weber State University's storytelling Fellow.
One of the student speakers this year is 11-year-old Nora Ahrensback. On Monday morning, she shared her fable titled "The Fox and the Stork."
"It just sounded like a fun thing to do, and I wanted to try it," Ahrensback said about the festival. "I didn't know I would actually make it when I auditioned. It was actually just a fun surprise."
Alongside student speakers are professional speakers like Sam Payne. He's traveled the world telling stories. As much as he loves interacting with the audience on stage, he says the real storytelling magic happens "in between the cracks of performances."
"You want to watch for people whose memories and thoughts have been sparked maybe by some of the things you've said on stage," he said.
Payne's storytelling advice to beginners like Nora? Just tell the story! Which is exactly what she did Monday morning as the audience cheered.
The storytelling festival is free and open to the public. If you want to learn when Payne or other storytellers perform, you can go to weber.edu/storytelling.
