Twenty years ago, a handful of storytellers pulled up chairs in Athens, Alabama, and asked a town to simply listen. Two decades later, that invitation has grown into one of the Southeast's most beloved storytelling traditions — and this October 22–24, the Athens Storytelling Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary the only way it knows how: with the best voices in the craft. This year's milestone lineup brings together four masters of the art — Donald Davis, Bil Lepp, Josh Goforth, and Adam Booth — for a weekend of laughter, wonder, and the kind of stories that stay with you long after the lights come up.

The celebration opens Thursday evening with a can't-miss Olio, a fast-paced sampler featuring shorter performances from all four headlining tellers, plus a special guest appearance from Carol Cain performing her powerful "Rosie the Riveter." It's the perfect first taste of the weekend ahead — and in honor of the occasion, veterans and a guest of their choosing are welcome free of charge. From there, the festival settles in for two full days of storytelling magic: Friday and Saturday run 9:00am to 9:30pm, each day unfolding across three rich sessions of tales, tunes, and the everyday-turned-extraordinary. Twenty years in, the Athens Storytelling Festival hasn't just endured — it's become a homecoming. Come be part of the next chapter.

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