The Front Porch Storytellers are preparing to take listeners on a trip around the world.
On Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m., the Front Porch Storytellers will present Around the World In Story and Song at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.
“We’ve been doing one or two storytelling programs at the park each year for the last eight or nine years,” said Mary Jane Kennedy, a member of the Front Porch Storytellers.
Kennedy and fellow raconteur Chad Bogart will be joined for this special event by storyteller Veronica Hurst.
“She’s been with us for several years and joins us when we do special events,” Kennedy said.
For the past couple of years, the theme for the Fall storytelling event at the park has encompassed the holidays with different tales from that season. This year, Kennedy said, the group wanted to do something different.
“We love to do themes,” she said, adding the storytellers decorate the stage to look like a scene from a play. “We try to do a whole package to where people feel like they are being transported somewhere else. We enjoy it so much.”
This year, the special event will feature stories and songs from a variety of different countries and cultures.
“This is the first one for stories and songs from around the world,” Kennedy said. “They get the chance to travel around the world and they don’t even need a passport.”
A few of the locals the storytellers will share tales and music from include Mexico, Africa, Ireland, America, and one that Kennedy is particularly excited for is a tale from England.
“This is probably the funniest story I’ve ever found in my life,” she said. “I laughed for a good 20 minutes.”
Some of the stories will be humorous while others will not. “We will tug some heartstrings, pique some intrigue and tickle your funny bone,” Kennedy said of the selection of stories.
In addition to the tales, the event will also feature performances of songs by the three storytellers.
“We’re going to bring some interesting instruments,” Kennedy said.
Unlike the Scary Stories at the Fort event the Front Porch Storytellers do in October for Halloween, this event will be held inside the park’s Visitors Center in the Gathering Room.
“It’s inside, so they don’t have to worry about the weather,” Kennedy said.
The event starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, but doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the door on the night of the event.
For more information on the event or on the Front Porch Storytellers, contact Mary Jane Kennedy at 423-542-9360.