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 (left to right in the photos): Antonio Rocha, Connie Regan-Blake, Peter Cook, Lyn Ford, and Andy Offutt Irwin. Click on their names to learn more about them.
Please note: Gene Tagaban was originally scheduled to appear at the 2026 festival as a featured teller. Due to travel difficulties, he will be unable to join us. In his place, we are pleased to welcome Andy Offutt Irwin. We hope to host Gene in a future year.
We will also showcase the following outstanding voices from across the Southeast who will be telling stories and teaching workshops at the festival.
Tickets: The festival proper is over, but you can still watch online through May 10th. One online viewing tickets ($15 at most) will cover your entire household or classroom.
Guide for Teachers: Click here for information on the storytellers, sample assignments, and other ideas for weaving storytelling into your curriculum. (Note: An updated version of this guide was posted on 3/13/26.)
Schedule: Click here for a draft of the festival schedule, including descriptions of the workshops and other special sessions.
Festival Map: Click here for a map of the festival venue.
Volunteering: Did you know that the festival is entirely volunteer-run? We’d love to have you join the crew! Many jobs are available. Volunteers typically work a 2 to 4-hour shift and in return receive a snazzy t-shirt, a free two-day festival ticket, and the undying gratitude of the organizers. To learn more and to sign up, click here.
Sponsorship: Each year, the festival is made possible by many generous individuals, businesses, and organizations. To learn more about how you can get involved as a sponsor and to see the benefits associated with sponsorship, click here.
2026 Festival Shirt Design: The theme for this year’s festival is Story: The Universal Language. Our 2026 t-shirt features the word story translated into dozens of languages, showing what all of us have in common. Shirts are available in purple (short sleeve) and dark green (long sleeve) in the Store page of our website. Here’s the artwork to give you an idea of what they look like.
Check back here and follow our Facebook page for information on the 2027 festival and email us at info@gamountainstoryfest.org if you have questions in the meantime.
Thank you to the following grantors and business sponsors for supporting the 2026 Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival: National Endowment for the Arts, the Georgia Council for the Arts, the North Georgia Community Foundation, the Wilhelm Family Foundation, The Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns, Clayton Walmart Supercenter #2753, The Ridges Resort on Lake Chatuge, Peach State Federal Credit Union, United Community (Blairsville), 4imprint, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, Sage Wax Boutique, Blairsville Martial Arts Academy, Mountain Properties LLC, Jacky Jones Ford of Hayesville, Ridgetop Homes, Black Tie & Tails Doggie Day Spa, Lake Chatuge Chamber of Commerce, Hiawassee Animal Hospital, Edward Jones in Hayesville, Cherokee County Arts Council, Sparkle and Shine Detailing, Laughing Giraffe Toys, Logan Turnpike Mill, Body Sense, Aviator Cafe, Mama's Concierge Services, Crane Creek Vineyards, John C. Campbell Folk School, Strickland and Associates P.C., North Georgia Family Medicine, Century 21 Black Bear Realty (Rick Andrews), the City of Young Harris, Acworth Cultural Arts, Blue Ridge Olive Oil, Fool's Paradise Farm, the Byron Herbert Reece Society, Jacky Jones Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, Pizza Belly Blairsville, Blairsville Printing, the City of Hiawassee, and the International Storytelling Center.
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.