Festival held stories, entertainment for all ages

by Erica Benjamin

Central United Methodist Church was the setting for the second annual Uwharrie Storytelling Festival which brought together nine storytellers to share their tales with the young and old alike.

This year's festival featured Ed “Moose” Duke, Matt Steed, Randy Rayfield, Susan Sharples, Melanie Holles, Jeff Hamilton, Georgette Edgerton, Heather Ross Miller and Sheila Kay Adams.

One by one, the presenters took to the main stage and entertained the audience with humorous and spooky tales. Storytellers Steed and Adams accompanied their stories with music, Steed on the Native American flute and Adams with the banjo and guitar.

Duke, Hamilton and Edgerton shared a separate children’s stage later in the afternoon and told stories aimed for children.

Refreshments were sold by the United Methodist Women of Central UMC with proceeds going to support their various missions and outreach projects. Visitors to the festival came from Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Asheville and Brevard.

The Uwharrie Storytelling Festival has made a significant mark on the community in only two years, according to Sharples.

“Storytelling is an ancient craft designed to teach and entertain through the spoken word. It has enjoyed a revival through festivals like this over the last 25 years around the country and it continues to grow in popularity,” Sharples said, adding that the Uwharrie Storytelling Festival is filling this niche in Stanly County.

“Area residents no longer have to travel to Tennessee or Georgia or other North Carolina locales for a memorable experience.”

Pat Bramlett, who was a member of the steering committee, along with Lena Olson, Don Abernathy, Kathy Almond, Chris Bramlett, Melanie Holles, Russ Sharples, Susan Sharples and Jonathan Underwood, was pleased with the response from all of the volunteers and organizations who helped make the event a success.

“Many individuals and community groups helped with this year's festival,” Bramlett said, adding that Pfeiffer University Women's Lacrosse coach Dawn Easley and Pfeiffer University Lacrosse team helped with the set up.

Albemarle High School art teacher Lauren Fike, along with the Art Club and National Honor Society students from the school prepared posters and directional signage for the festival, and Boy Scout Troop 191 assisted with parking.

“The steering committee was pleased that so many public and private entities came together to sponsor what is becoming a significant regional storytelling festival.”

The 2011 Uwharrie Storytelling Festival was a joint effort of the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation, Stanly County Arts Council, Stanly County Public Library and Stanly County Museum and was also supported in part by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

Various other local sponsors also took part in organizing the festival.

STANLY NEWS AND PRESS - Tuesday, October 6, 2011