Timpanogos Storytelling Festival

A friend of mine got a family pass to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. It was in connection with her blog, Because Babies Grow Up. She offered the ticket to our family if I would write a post for her blog telling about our experience. Here is an e-mail, and the post:

Amber,
You know the story telling festival began today, and I am amazed at how blessed we are that you thought of us to take your ticket. We went to the "Look Who's Talking" event. We heard six storytellers. It was the best entertainment we've seen in, well forever. From touching to hysterical we were enthralled, and tonight was only the"taste of what's to come." Steve's favorite was Bil Lepp who told a story of being chased by 5 wild dogs and 500 prairie dogs while he tried to run away on the 12 ft high stilts he'd built to stand on while he painted the second story windows of his home. Every time Bil would say, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you......." the story became more and more crazy and unbelievable. Steve was banging his head on my knee he was so caught up in the ridiculousness of it all.

Heather Forest told a Jewish folk tale that is the beginning of the phrase "words like feathers fly." Her song has the lyrics "cruel words like feathers fly." I hope she has recorded this story. I want to use it in my elementary school classroom.
Barry and I enjoyed all the tellers but were especially delighted with Carmen Agra Deedy. She told a story that could have happened to any of us, parts of which have happened to all of us, with voices and faces that were.......I can't think of a description, partly because her performance was beyond words and partly because my past-bed-time brain is beyond words.
The kids are especially looking forward to hearing Bill Harley tomorrow. I'm excited for them to have an experience so rich. I was teasing Steve and asked if the show wasn't better than playing PS2. He surprised me by having to debate about which he would rather do: Play PS2 or listen to stories. This tells me that he NEEDS to hear stories.Thank you for the perfect medicine.
I will use part of this email in the blog post I promised. Or if you want to post some of it now feel free. It's not to late for your readers to get tickets. And you can see just one event if you want.http://www.timpfest.org/
Thanks again,
Rebecka
PS I hope you are well, miss you and your sweet girls

Hello again everyone at Because Babies Grow Up! You know that Amber gave our family her weekend pass to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. I'm trying to decide how to tell you how incredible it was. If you read my email about Thursday night's performance and multiply it by 100 you would have the essence of our experience. The festival definitely has something for everyone. Some tellers are funny, some are inspiring, some are both. Some tell stories from their own lives, some tell beautiful folk and fairy tells, and some tell outrageous tales that started from the truth of their own experiences but grew to the unbelievable.

Story telling is a great way to bring your family together. When you listen to a story together you're changed together. Later when a family member sees a connection between your family's experience and a story you heard together they will make a joke or share the connection and you are drawn together by the experience again.

My girls are 12 and 14, and my son just turned 11. The girls wanted to be at every event. They loved everything. Steven however got tired quickly. A few of the tellers just grabbed him and drew him in, but he was not very patient when he had to listen to tellers who didn't. So I let him stay at home for many of the daytime events. The event that is best suited for young children is Friday night's Bedtime Stories. If you have small children you may want to only take them to that event. If you do take children to the daytime events they might like the puppet shows better. This year there was also a mime and a juggler.

The weekend was jam packed and we were totally exhausted by Sunday morning, but it was worth it. A great thing about the festival is that it begins Thursday evening on labor day weekend, but the last event is Saturday night so you still have Sunday and Monday to recover before you have to go back to work and school. A weekend pass is only $100, which for a family of five or six is a bargain. We are definitely going to make the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival a family tradition. We think you'll like it too.