The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridge in June will feature three renowned storytellers: Sheila Arnold, Bil Lepp, and Kim Weitkamp. The festival is scheduled from June 2-4, and “early bird” tickets are now on sale. This fifth annual event will be in person with four shows at the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge, and it will include the story of the Oak Ridge 85.
Early bird tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite or the Ferrell Shop (cash or check only) in Oak Ridge. “This is a great Christmas gift for all ages,” a press release said.
The two-day storytelling event on Friday and Saturday will feature Arnold, Lepp and Weitkamp, “who are known to audiences nationwide for their wit, wisdom, and abilities to make audiences laugh, cry, and reminisce,” the press release said.
On Thursday, June 2, Lepp will lead a workshop.
Arnold will highlight the Friday night performance by telling the story of the Oak Ridge 85, the 85 brave young people who were the first to desegregate a school district in the South, the press release said.
“Few people know of this 1955 milestone event that took place in Oak Ridge,” the press release said. “Sheila will honor the Oak Ridge 85 by telling some of their stories.”
Lepp and Weitkamp will also perform Friday evening. Friday evening tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.
There will be three shows on Saturday, June 4, and the storytellers will share different stories for each performance, the press release said. Tickets for the morning family show from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. are $10 for adults and $5 for school-age children. The afternoon show is from 2 to 5 p.m., and the evening show is from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets for the afternoon and evening performances are $25 for each show. Early bird pricing is currently available at $40 per ticket for both the Saturday afternoon and evening shows. For groups of 10 or more, tickets will be $20 each for either the afternoon or evening performances.
You can buy tickets at Flatwatertales.com, Eventbrite, and at The Ferrell Shop (cash or check only) in Oak Ridge. Contact flatwatertales@gmail.com for more information.
Lepp will present the workshop, “Bringing a Story to Life and Including Your Audience in the Experience,” from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday June 2, at the University of Tennessee Arboretum Auditorium in Oak Ridge. Tickets for the workshop are $50 and are also available at Eventbrite and the Ferrell Shop in Oak Ridge. The Ferrell Shop accepts cash or check only.
The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival is led by volunteers from all three Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs.
For more information, visit Flatwatertales.com and Flatwater Tales on Facebook, or send an email to flatwatertales@gmail.com.
Here is a COVID-19 notice from organizers: “We may need to put COVID-related protocols or restrictions in place for Flatwater Tales. We will continue to evaluate local conditions, monitor public health officials’ recommendations, and modify the protocols as necessary. We will update this information on our website and communicate with ticket holders via email. We understand that guidelines continue to change, and we appreciate your patience.”
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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