On the USchool Stage

A Halloween treat for the U School community - Patty, Mary, and Ginny (the one behind the camera) telling seasonal stories.

32nd Annual Festival of Ghost Stories

While Dana prepared to introduce our nine performers, many non-ghost stories were being shared backstage.

You'll be able to see some of the performance on BCAT, and to hear snipets on WFHB. We all enjoyed listening to each other's stories, and seeing how each had developed since our audition.

Patty started the evening out with a story of gruesome graveyard rats, but she ended it with lovely homemade gingerbread and macaroons for all the tellers.

And over the delicious pumpkin ice cream and warm Hallo-wine, we talked over the evening's stories.

What will we remember about this year's Festival?

Maybe the "pink fuzzy boots"? Maybe the eerie true WWII tale? Maybe it will be Lisa's shriek or Christina's growling dog? Perhaps we'll remember that Godfather Death left Josh with an empty hand? Maybe we'll always talk about the time Hope drove all the way around Indy twice to get to Blooomingon (and then walked in one minute before she went on stage - what a trooper!) or maybe it will just be the "alternative ending".

We hope our audience left with some good memories as well.

Festival moves INSIDE

Rain... with more to come...but we'll stay dry inside tonight. The Festival of Ghost Stories tonight will be INSIDE at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington.

Enter through the Kirkwood Avenue doors-

Doors open at 7:15.

Eerie Tales at the Knox County Library

Saturday was the annual Eerie Tales event at the Knox County Library in Vincennes. (Patty was there for the first one, 14 years ago.)
We were the "Professional raconteurs from the Bloomington Storytellers’ Guild" in their publicity. The crowd of 65-70 people gathered on tarps laid over the cold wet lawn in the library courtyard. A giant century-old Tulip Poplar towered over them. A swelling half moon slowly rose in the sky beyond the brick wall enclosing the courtyard. Both Ginny and Patty tried out some new stories as well as telling some old favorites. The audience listened closely, ignoring the trucks revving their engines at the corner and the train whistles that went on and on and on until Patty put them in her story.

Festival of Ghost Stories: Friday, Oct. 26.

We'll gather at Lower Cascades Park at dusk. Stories begin at 7:30.

An ink-black night with jack-o'-lanterns and fresh cider set the stage for an evening of live storytelling beneath the stars. A Halloween-time tradition for more than 30 years, the Festival of Ghost Stories features haunting tales of ghosts and horror that will tingle the spine. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, dress warmly and avoid the chill as seasoned storytellers spin their tales in the dark hollow at Cascades Park.

Admission to the Festival of Ghost Stories is free for adults, teens and older school-age children. Not appropriate for younger children. In case of rain, the Festival of Ghost Stories will be held at the Monroe County Public Library. For weather-related updates, call the Community Events Hotline at (812) 349-3754.

A community partnership event sponsored by the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, Monroe County Public Library and the Bloomington Storytellers Guild.

Oct. 10 through 14th!

From one exiting weekend to another - now it's time for the Hoosier Storytelling Festival.
Stephanie reports that if you were planning on seeing Carmen Deedy on Wednesday night (and Stephanie was planning on introducing her!) - expect to see Antonio Sacre instead.
We'll be looking for your comments and reports on the events you attended and, those of you who are performing, how your sessions went!

Time for the National Storytelling Festival!

Some of us are heading to Jonesborough, Tennessee this weekend for the National Storytelling Festival. It's an event of mythic proportions, and hopefully we'll have some pictures and reports to share afterwards (Right, Stephanie??)