It seems there’s no place more appropriate for an event focused on storytelling than Story City. The central Iowa community’s Story Festival is underway today and Sunday. Kolleen Taylor Berven, of the city’s public library, says the events feature a host of professional storytellers, doing what they do best.
“We have activities going on from workshops here at the library to story stops, which are ten-minute little stories which are being told all throughout the downtown area of Story City,” Berven says. There are also “story concerts,” which are performances featuring the combined efforts of all of the professional and local storytellers. She says the festival is designed to get folks interested in literature.
“These are all completely different programs,” Berven says. “It’s not like going to a play that’s been rehearsed month after month. Every single activity, every single event will be totally unique, so it makes for an incredible experience all throughout the weekend.” This is Story City’s 4th annual Story Festival and Berven says the concerts and workshops are very enlightening.
“I attended everything I could attend last year and it was just a wonderful experience,” Berven says. “It was informative. You learn how to enhance your ability to talk and you learn about what engages an audience, so it’s great for everyone.”
Contributed by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City