Storytelling Given Greater Emphasis At 19th Annual Bear On The Square Festival

  • Saturday, January 24, 2015
National Storyteller Adam Booth will be featured at this year's NSN Regional Spotlight Event, which will be a part of the 19th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival in Dahlonega.
National Storyteller Adam Booth will be featured at this year's NSN Regional Spotlight Event, which will be a part of the 19th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival in Dahlonega.
The National Storytelling Network (NSN) has awarded Dahlonega's Bear on the Square Mountain Festival the designation as this year's Southeast Regional Spotlight Event for Storytelling.
With the designation, the NSN has approved a grant of $1,000 to the Southern Order of Storytellers to use to strengthen its participation on Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19, at this year's 19th annual Bear Festival.
Debbie Weston From, a member of the Southern Order of Storytellers (SOS) who is also a member of the Bear Festival committee, said that in addition to performances by several local and regional storytellers, SOS is bringing in National Storyteller Adam Booth to the Zak McConnell Stage at Hancock Park. A West Virginia resident, Mr. Booth will share stories at three of the festival's storytelling sessions and will lead two workshops for Bear.
 
Mr. Booth will also emcee the Appalachian Story Slam Saturday night of the festival that will feature students from University of North Georgia’s Appalachian Studies program.  Other sponsors of the Southeastern Regional Spotlight Event, in addition to NSN & Parkhurst Brothers, Inc., are Southern Order of Storytellers, Chestatee Regional Library and Georgia Appalachian Studies Center. More information about NSN can be found at storynet.org
Mr. Booth, who is a storyteller, musician and educator, is a four-time champion of the West Virginia Liars' Contest and winner of storytelling contests in three other states, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. He appeared at the Exchange Place Stage at the 2011 National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tn., and he was a featured panelist at the 2012 National Storytelling Conference in Cincinnati.
The Southern Appalachian oral art of storytelling has been a part of the Bear on the Square Festival over the years, and has become a growing presence during recent years. This year, the Atlanta-headquartered Southern Order of Storytellers is not only helping sponsor the Regional Spotlight Event, it is also increasing its level of sponsorship for the Bear Festival.
Each year, Dahlonega's Bear on the Square Festival celebrates the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the presentation of music, traditional craft and folkways. Held in and around Dahlonega's Historic Public Square, the 2015 festival will get underway with pre-event activities starting around mid-day on Friday, April 17. Early-arriving local and visiting pickers will begin the popular jamming on the square, which will go on all weekend. The other Friday event will be the Live and Silent Country Auction that night in the Main Stage Tent.
 
A juried Artists Marketplace on Saturday and Sunday features traditional mountain crafts and artist demonstrations. Other highlights of the event include storytelling, more jamming on the square, kids' activities, and free music workshops/demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday; an Acoustic Open Mic event and dance team demonstrations on Saturday; and Master Music Classes on Sunday.
 
For more details about the festival, including the complete lineup of performers and artists, schedules, event locations, and updates between now and the event, visit www.bearonthesquare.org.
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