The City of Collegedale Parks and Recreation Fireside Chat Storytelling Series will kick off Jan. 4, 2019 at 7 p.m. The first Fridays in January, February and March bring entertainment and storytelling for all ages to Founders Hall at The Commons, 4950 Swinyar Dr.
The Fireside Chat series joins the Encore Kids Drama Club as the City of Collegedale's Parks and Recreation department expands 2019 programming aimed at increasing awareness of the art of performing, oration and storytelling. The Encore Kids Drama Club, open to ages eight to 13, is taking reservations for its first class until Dec. 19 and will host its first program of short skits on Feb. 22.
Collegedale will participate in World Storytelling Day on March 20, with local personality Richard Garey as he shares a glimpse into the creative mind of Mark Twain. This evening program is sponsored by the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation and will be at The Commons.
For more information, contact the City of Collegedale Parks and Recreation at 423-468-1971 or thobek@collegedaletn.gov.
Review of the line-up for the series:
Jan. 4- Mike Gray and special guests, Jeffrey and Marcy Paulson will lead the audience on an “Appalachian Winter” exploration through story and song. Mike is producer and host of The River City Sessions radio show on NPR and historical storyteller of Appalachian life. Jeffrey is a Hamilton County educator, storyteller and musician and Marcy is a musician and award-winning singer.
Feb. 1 - Local students will share personal poems and stories, and two new young authors, Heather Marsh and Kassedy Whitener, from our area will speak on their journey to being published.
March - Retired National Wildlife Ranger Kim DeLozier and author of "Bear in the Backseat" books will entertain us with stories from his experiences as a Ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains. Jack Hanna (who spent his childhood in Knoxville) wrote, “Kim DeLozier has seen just about everything when it comes to bear antics... he shares) amazing stories… great pointers about how to safely view animals in the wild.”