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The Storytelling Festival at the Menlo Park Library celebrates the power of words beyond the printed page, showcasing the enduring art of oral storytelling: that is, sharing a story without using a book.
The fifth annual edition of the festival just kicked off and is taking place entirely online, with events throughout the month of October.
The Storytelling Festival kicks off Oct. 1 with “StoryFest,” an event geared for listeners ages 5 to adult, featuring a dozen storytellers, including local tellers and special guests from Hawaii (Jeff Gere), Australia (Lillian Rodrigues-Pang) and Singapore (Krupa Vinayagamoorthy).
Though storytelling is often associated with young children, the festival offers programs for various ages.
The festival runs through Oct. 29, with most events taking place on Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.
Michael D. McCarty, who specializes in stories of African and African American history and culture, and multicultural stories, will share folk, personal and historical tales on Oct. 8 in an event for adults and teens. “The Spirit Survives” on Monday, Oct. 12, 4-5:30 p.m., features Dovie Thomason telling listeners ages 12 and older about a shameful chapter in U.S. history, when First Nations children were forced to attend government boarding schools that stripped them of their culture and identities.
On Oct. 15, Chetter Galloway presents “A Tale of a Few Tricksters!,” a collection of folktales from the African diaspora for adults and teens; and on Oct. 22, Linda Yemoto will share nature tales, Asian folktales and ghost stories for all ages.
The Storytelling Festival concludes on Oct. 29, with Día de Muertos/Day of the Dead tales for ages 11 and older from Olga Loya, who often tells stories in both English and Spanish.
The Storytelling Festival is free. For more information, visit menlopark.org/adults.
