Experience an ancient tradition that lives on in modern times.
We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing meaningful opportunities for an underserved audience to engage with the voices of Appalachia through hearing stories and attending workshops that will enable them to develop a cultural intelligence through the arts of listening and speaking.
Mark your calendar!
The 12th annual Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival is coming!
April 10-11, 2026
in-person at The Ridges Resort in Hiawassee, GA and online
Our featured tellers for the 2026 festival will be: Antonio Rocha, Connie Regan-Blake, Peter Cook, Lyn Ford, and Gene Tagaban.
Click on their names below to learn more about them:
Antonio Rocha
Connie Regan-Blake
Peter Cook
Lyn Ford
Gene Tagaban
We will also showcase a group of outstanding regional voices from across the Southeast who will be telling stories and teaching workshops throughout the festival. Stay tuned for more information on them!
ADDITIONAL FESTIVAL INFO
Lodging: You can stay on-site for the festival! The Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge is offering festival visitors a deeply discounted rate for reserving rooms early. Call 706-896-2262, ext. #1, by 3/10/2026 to take advantage of the GMSF2026 rate.
Volunteering: Did you know that every person who works to put on the festival—from the organizers to the folks who sweep up at the end—is a volunteer? Many hands make light work and make it fun too! Volunteers typically work one or more shifts and receive a free two-day festival ticket, a snazzy t-shirt, and the undying gratitude of the festival committee. To learn more and sign up to help with the 2026 festival, click here: https://forms.gle/R62D3bfSUZPuoLNt7.
Sponsoring: Join us in bringing the art of storytelling to people in our area and beyond! As a festival supporter, you can have a significant impact by helping us to enrich, educate, and entertain children, parents, teachers, aspiring tall tale tellers, and many, many others. Every year, generous donors like you make it possible for us to enable students and their teachers, individuals with low income, and individuals with disabilities to attend the festival at no charge. Click here for more information on sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 festival.
Information on reserving tickets will be coming soon, as will our 2026 Festival Guide for Teachers with information on the storytellers, sample assignments, and other ideas for weaving storytelling into your curriculum.
Check back here and follow our Facebook page for more information on the 2026 festival, and email us at info@gamountainstoryfest.org if you have questions in the meantime.
The 2025 Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival was funded in part by grants from the Nora Roberts Foundation and from the Georgia Council for the Arts and South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Thank you to these grantors and to the following business sponsors for supporting us: The Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge, The City of Young Harris, The City of Hiawassee, The Lake Chatuge Chamber of Commerce, Dawsonville Walmart Supercenter #3974, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, The Cherokee County Arts Council, Jacky Jones Ford of Hayesville, Sparkle & Shine Detailing, Blairsville Martial Arts Academy, Aviator Cafe, Hawg Wild BBQ and Catfish House, United Community (Blairsville), Trailful Outdoor Co., Rick Andrews of Century 21 Black Bear Realty, Ridgetop Homes, Hiawassee Animal Hospital, Goin' Postal, ClearView Optical, Peach State Federal Credit Union, Crane Creek Vineyards, Sage Wax Boutique, Blairsville Printing, Logan Turnpike Mill, North Georgia Family Medicine, Edward Jones (Hayesville, NC), Blue Ridge Olive Oil, Body Sense, and Jo Ellen Thornton of Century 21 Black Bear Realty. We are also grateful to the many individual donors who made the festival possible. Thank you for your generosity!
Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival, Inc. values and celebrates the diversity of human voices, backgrounds, and experiences. We are an equal opportunity organization and do not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status protected by applicable law. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for our staff, volunteers, artists, audience members, vendors, and all other program participants.