Menlo Park 10th Annual Storytelling Festival takes place November 2 to December 7

The 10th Annual Menlo Park Storytelling Festival, featuring eight free events, takes place between November 2 and December 7.

The festival began in 2016 as a single afternoon of storytelling in a basement program room at Menlo Park Library. The annual event took no break during the pandemic shutdowns of 2020, using the technological necessities of the time as an opportunity to put together international gatherings of storytellers that became favorite events that continue to this day. This year’s “StoryFest” on December 5 is slated to include performers from around the U.S., Australia, Singapore, and the U.K.

Many of the performers from the inaugural Menlo Park Storytelling Festival can be seen at the Tellabration™ event November 15 at Belle Haven Library. The presenters of this group are members of the South Bay Storytellers and Listeners, who have long been stalwarts at storytelling events throughout the Bay Area.

This year’s festival features more events than ever, with perennial favorites (including internationally-celebrated storytellers Diane Ferlatte and Olga Loya), as well as several first-time programs. Some of those new-to-the library performances are especially for adults, including strange-but-true tales from the odd corners of history, science, art & adventure, shared by fellows of Odd Salon, a bicoastal project inspired by the salonnieres of the Enlightenment (Nov. 12); and multiple Moth StorySlam Winner Regina Stoops sharing her one-woman show, “Coming Out—Again” (Dec. 2).

Adults and school-agers who would like to dip their toes into the art of storytelling are invited to a Storytelling 101 workshop, led by seasoned teller “Brother Ben” Tucker (Nov. 22).

Get a list of story tellers and appearance dates online.

Photo courtesy of Menlo Park Library