The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival has announced the dates of this year’s events, featuring three nationally acclaimed storytellers for performances on June 6 and 7. The annual festival returns live to the Historic Grove Theater, 123 Randolph Road, Oak Ridge.
The storytellers are:
• Anne Shimojima, whose folk tales from around the world and historical stories enlighten, educate, and inspire audiences, appearing for the first time in Oak Ridge.
• The Rev. Robert B. Jones Sr., an inspirational storyteller who celebrates history, humor, and the power of American Roots music, returning to the festival by popular request.
• Bil Lepp, a Flatwater Festival crowd favorite and an award-winning storyteller, author, recording artist, and History Channel host, who spins humorous, family-friendly tall tales and stories.
Each show is unique, as these storytellers will perform different stories at each of the events, beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, June 6, and continuing with three more shows at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7. Most performances will be at the Historic Grove Theater, and free events will be at the Oak Ridge Senior Center and the American Museum of Science and Energy.
The festival was inspired by the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tenn., where all three of this year’s storytellers have appeared.
Tickets may be purchased online at https://events.humanitix.com/2025-flatwater-tales-storytelling-festival/tickets or at the Flatwater Tales web site, https://flatwatertales.com, or in person with cash or check at Calamity’s Coffee, 219 Jackson Square, Oak Ridge. Individual tickets for each of the four shows in which all three storytellers will perform are $15 for each show, or $45 for a ticket for all four shows for the cost of three.
Several free programs will be offered.
Bil Lepp will present a “Taste of the Tales” 10 a.m. June 6 at the Oak Ridge Senior Center, 1405 Oak Ridge Turnpike, for ages 18 and up, as a gift to residents from the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival and the City of Oak Ridge.
Anne Shimojima will share the history of her Japanese American family’s three generations of life in America since 1909, including the incarceration camp drama faced in the 1940s, with her story, “Looking Like the Enemy: An American WWII Story.” This free event at 3 pm. June 6 will be at the American Museum of Science and Energy, 115 E. Main St., Oak Ridge, presented by Flatwater Tales, AMSE, and the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association.
Oak Ridge Historian Ray Smith will once again offer his free Historic Tour of Oak Ridge for both visitors here for the festival and residents from 12:30-2:45 p.m. on June 6. Participants are asked to register for the free performances at the ticket site, as space is limited.
For more information, see the website, https://flatwatertales.com. The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival, which originated in 2018, is led by community volunteers, including volunteers from the three Rotary Clubs in Oak Ridge.
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