News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Stories will be in the air Saturday as the Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area hosts the 32nd annual Haunting in the Hills Storytelling Festival.
Big South Fork Superintendent Niki Nicholas said the event brings nationally-known storytellers who tell stories that get scarier as the day goes on. The event will also contain a bird walk, live music, and all kinds of crafts and food. Nicholas said the festival celebrates the lifestyle that took place in the Upper Cumberland over the last one hundred years.
“One of the things that was very important was storytelling,” Nicholas said. “That’s how people would share history and would share ideas. It was a great way to sit down and around the fireplace and just talk to each other, and we want to celebrate that history and that tradition.”
Nicholas said storytelling keeps the culture of the Upper Cumberland alive. Nicholas said Big South Fork is making extra efforts leading up to the festival to stress the importance of passing stories down from generation to generation by visiting schools.
“We are going out to over thirty schools in six counties with all these storytellers,” Nicholas said. “We are talking to over 13,000 school children and talking about the importance of storytelling and making sure that they learn their family stories and pass those stories on.”
Nicholas said the festival has been very successful over the years with thousands of people coming to the festival. Nicholas said nothing beats seeing families having a good time.
“My favorite part is in the evening right before it starts to get dark,” Nicholas said. “I see all the people settling back and sitting on the blankets and families together and talking to each other.”
The festival takes place Saturday 11am-10pm at Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area.
