Jackson, Mich. — In 1988, local author Laurice LaZebnik gathered a group of volunteers and launched Jackson Storyfest after visiting and getting inspiration from the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. Since then, Jackson Storyfest has grown into the largest annual storytelling festival in the state of Michigan.
“The festival started with pop-up sites around downtown Jackson, before growing into schools busing thousands of students to buildings in the downtown area, to finally the current model, where storytellers go to Jackson county schools,” said Sara Tackett, director of the Jackson District Library. “Through donations from a number of local organizations and indiviuals and grants from teh National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, we’ve been able to grow year after year.”
This year, the three-day festival will span from November 2 through November 4, beginning with a free performance at Vista Grande Villa, followed by storytelling in classrooms around Jackson county, and wrapping up with a showcase at the Jackson Symphony Orchestra Weatherwax Hall which is free and open to the public.
For a full schedule and list of storytellers, visit myjdl.com/explore/storyfest.
