2019 Shoals Front Porch Pop-up & Storytelling Festival

Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival 2019 

March 5, 2019, 11:30–1 P.M., 2019  Dolores Hydock Through the Back Door ~ The Music that Bridged the Bayou. Mardi Gras luncheon, Sheffield Public Library, Sheffield, AL

May 6, 2019, 2–3 P.M., 2019  Dolores Hydock Helen Keller Library 511 N Main St. Tuscumbia, AL 

Literary Treason: the Writings of Bess Streeter Aldrich 

This program looks at the life and work of Bess Streeter Aldridge, a Nebraska Writer of the 1930s who accomplished what a few others did:

While she raised her family as a single mother, she had a successful, self-supporting career as a female writer during the first half of the 20th century.

The program describes her early life and later career success, and includes a reading of "Jundo Swans," Aldrich's funny and touching short story, which serves as a reminder that there.

It's no disaster like an elementary school play, and no friend as crucial as your best friend when you're ten years old.

May 16, 2019, 10–11 A.M. Dishing the dirt Cypress Lake Golf & Tennis Club 1311 E Sixth St. Muscle Shoals, AL Sponsored by Muscle Shoals Public Library Tickets are $5, including a light brunch before the program call 256-386-9212 

Whether you've got the greenest thumb since Johnny Appleseed or you managed to kill a rock garden, you'll enjoy these stories about Mother Nature, Frederic the French Yard-Man, and people who grow philosophy as well as phlox on their little piece of earth. 

May 16, 2019, 4–5 P.M. Pop-UP Concert with Josh Goforth, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

350 N Wood Ave, Florence, AL  

 Storyteller, ballad singer, and multi-instrumentalist Josh Goforth is a native of Madison County in western North Carolina. Situated deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this area is renowned for its preservation of unbroken ballad and storytelling traditions, which were brought by early Scots-Irish and English settlers in the mid-17th century. It was also fertile ground for the rise of American string band music played on fiddle, banjo, and guitar. Proud to share his Appalachian heritage with audiences near and far, Josh Goforth draws from each of these wellsprings. Join us for a FREE pop-up concert with Josh at 4 P.M. on Thursday, May 16, to kick off the Shoals Storytelling Festival!  

May 17, 8:45 A.M. – 5 P.M. (with lunch break): The Shoals Storytelling Festival featuring Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bil Lepp, and Josh Goforth

8:50-9:00 Welcome

9:00-9:30 Bil Lep

9:30-10:30 Josh Goforth

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:30 Dolores Hydock

11:30-12:00 Donald Davis 

12:00—2:00 Lunch

2:00-2:30 Josh Goforth

2:30-3:30 Bil Lep

3:30-3:50 Break

3:50-5:00 Donald Davis (Went home at 5 P.M.)

5:00-7:00 Dinner 

7–9 P.M.–Storyteller Showcase with Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bil Lepp, and Josh Goforth

May 18, 9 A.M. – 5:15 P.M. (with lunch break): The Shoals Storytelling Festival featuring Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bil Lepp, Eric Kirkman, and Josh Goforth

9:00-9:30 Donald Davis 

9:30-10:30 Eric Kirkman

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-12:00 Dolores Hydock

12:00—2:00 Lunch

2:00-2:30 Bil Lep

2:30-3:00 Josh Goforth

3:00-3:50 Eric Kirkman 

3:50-4:15 Break

4:15-4:45 Dolores Hydock

4:45-5:15 5:00 Donald Davis (Went home at 5 P.M.)

5:15-7:00 Dinner

7–9 P.M. – Performance with Firekid, Dillon Hodges, and Heidi Feek

For the past two days, I have enjoyed spending time with my friends at the Shoals Theater Storytelling Festival.

On Friday, we ate lunch at Legends (I think everyone ate lunch there). I enjoyed a plate of fried okra, fried shrimp, and Jack Danial's apples. 

Saturday, my friend and I shared a bowl of white cheese dip, chicken, and feta for lunch. We topped it off with a cup of their complimentary ice cream.

On Friday and Saturday, we enjoyed listening to the following entertainers
Josh Goforth, Bill Lepp, Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, and Dr. Eric Kirkman.
Josh Goforth is a multi-talented storyteller who utilizes a variety of stringed instruments to accompany his ballads and stories.
His stories included friends and relatives, many about his tobacco chewing and his refusal to take the shortcut to hard work, particularly his grand-paw.
Bill Lepp's, believe it or not, Paul Bunyan tall tales!
Donald Davis's school days growing up and his jokester father.
Dolores's stories included a white cat (Huck), a black cat, a speckled cat, and a one-eyed cat, and the lessons she learned from them.
Audry Williams shares her side of the story of fame.
Dr. Eric Kirkman sings and uses musical instruments to tell the African American influence on American music.

Thursday Pop-up Shows 

Cypress Lake Golf & Tennis Club, Dolores Hydock shared stories about "Dishing the Dirt from the Garden," and we were served ham, sausage biscuits, fruit, pastries, muffins, orange juice, coffee, and water. There were door prizes.

Florence Library's Josh Goforth played the guitar, banjo, and fiddle, sang ballads, & told stories about life in Madison County, North Carolina.

The storytelling festival has come to a bittersweet close, and I look forward to it next year.

2017 May 19-20, Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival

Friday, May 19
8:45-9:00 Opening
9-9:30AM Bil Lep
9:30–10 A.M. Southern Gentleman Tim Lowery told a story about his adventure to the Rattlesnake Saloon.
Break
10:15-10:45 Donald Davis
10:45–12 P.M. Dolores Hydock talked about the USO of WWII
12–2:00 P.M. lunch at the Pie Factory with a friend. I ordered Creamy Tomato Basil dip with bread and Coke
2–2:30 P.M. Don White talked about his teenage daughter
2:30-3:00PM  Bil Lepp
3:00–3:30 P.M. Tim Lowery
3:45-4:15 Donald Davis spoke about his camping at the cabin, borrowing a truck, and having fun in the field of milkweeds
44:15–5:00 P.M., Kat Campbell. She spoke of visiting Ava Mario, Rock City, and Lookout Mountain.
Supper Break 5–7 P.M.
I ate lunch at Jack's
7:7:15PM Bil Lepp spoke about his friend Skeeter and the water hoses, condensed steam, Old Faithful, and Coal Mines
7:15–7:30 P.M. Don White talked about California and TV

7:30–9:00 P.M.
Mark Narmore sang about Jesse James, What I Like About Sunday's
Kate Campbell sang about her grandfather-in-law's cement boat, burning down Big Mansions
Walt Aldridge sang about the Smell of Rain, Modern Day Bonnie & Clyde
Bobby Horton Speeding, Lord's Supper, Stand a Little Rain, Man of Steel

Saturday, May 20
9:00–9:30 A.M. Don White- Love and Growing Up
9:30–10:00 A.M. Bil Lepp Love my dentist
Break
10:15–10:45 A.M. Donald Davis
10:45–12:15 P.M. Dolores talked about Sally Foster's journal, accompanied by Bobby Horton
Lunch at Legends with a friend, we both ordered a hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion, and we drank water and lemon.
We saw several of the storytellers at the restaurant.
We walked through Wilson Park, looking at all the vendors at Arts Alive
2:00-2:30 Don White talked about his wife
2:30-3:00 Donald Davis talks about his experience in first grade
3:00-3:30 Tim Lowry talked about finally making it to Disney World after three tries and not losing faith.
My friend and I both left at the 3:30 Break. She was tired, and I was getting sick and was sick for almost two weeks.
Had a great time at the Storytelling Festival

2016 Saturday, May 21, UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival @UNA

Arrived early and got a seat in the front row.

9:30-10:00 We listened to Geraldine Buckley she talked about her life in Spain and giving spirits to a bunch of nuns.

10:00-10:30 We listened to Tim Lowry 

He talked about teaching Russian Immigrants and Gullah children English & their use of punctuation. 
He told us about how he introduced the Gullah children to the older Russians.
He told us about how a Russian woman changed the life of one of his students, and how he went from hating school to wanting to learn. 

10:45-12:00 We listened to Dolores Hydock tell her experience with meeting Doctor Ruth & Kathryn Tucker Windham.

12:00-1:30 Lunch

We ate lunch-I brought two peanut butter crackers, an orange, a banana, a box of cranberries, and bottled water.

My friend and I had a couple of women from Colorado sit with us.

They had traveled from Colorado, stopping in Arkansas to visit a friend, then traveled to Florence to listen to the storytellers. They were staying at Express Holiday Inn.

They had been to every show, including the evening events.

They were traveling to Birmingham where one of the women was taking the plane to Chicago. The other woman was driving to Atlanta to visit family. She was giving the car that she was driving to her grandson, then she was flying home to Colorado.

Dolores Hydock joined us for lunch. I gave her a peanut butter cracker and a box of cranberries. One of the other women gave her some fruit. We had a great time getting to know one another.

1:30-2:00 We listened to Geraldine Buckley talk about hitchhiking in Canada

2:00-2:30 We listened to Minton Sparks use Bayou singing to tell stories and she told a story about her grandmother. She was accompanied by John Jackson a guitarist.

2:30-3:00 We listened to Bil Lepp talked 

Both my friend and I had to leave during the 3:00PM break.

I had to be at my grandson’s wedding at 5:00PM.

2014 May 14-May 17 Storytellers visit the Shoals and UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival

UNA Front Porch Storytelling Festival 

Thursday, May 15, 2014 

Storytellers visit Shoals 

2014, May 14, 8:30–11:30 A.M.

Free Storytelling Workshop UNA front porch storytelling festival with Dolores Hydock

UNA George Lindsey Theater

2014, May 14,12:30-3:30 P.M. Florence Library Bill Huddleston

Using Storytelling for Adults: Storytelling anywhere for anyone

2014 May 15,11:30-12:30 P.M. Florence Library Dolores Hydock 

Footprints on the sky, Memories of Chandler Mountain 

2014 May 15,1:30-2:30 P.M. Keller Library Dolores Hydock 

Norman Rockwell, every picture tells a story. 

Friday, May 16, 2014

9:00–9:50 A.M. Walt Aldridge talked about his writing 

10:00–10:50 A.M. BIL LEPP talked about I love my dentist

11:00–11:50 A.M. Dolores Hydock told a story about Sallie Independence Foster

12noon 2:00 P.M. Lunch

2:00–2:50 P.M. Donal Davis-

3:00–3:50 P.M. Diane Ferlatte told a story about Burr Rabbit

4:00–4:50 P.M. Barbara McBride-Smith

7:00–9:00 P.M. Olio, Aldridge, Davis, Ferlatte, Hydock, Lepp, and McBride-Smith (I did not attend the evening performances)

Saturday, May 17, 2014

9:00–9:50 A.M. Barbara McBride-Smith 

10:00–10:50 A.M. Donald Davis-cripple Joe

11:00–11:50 A.M. Diane Ferlatte talked about her mother

12noon-2:00 P.M. lunch

2:00–2:50 P.M. Dolores Hydock-Talked about her mom & her cat and women of the west

3:00–3:50 P.M. Bil Lepp-Talked mountain lions

4:00–4:50 P.M. Walt Aldridge-Talked about his music

5-7 dinner

7-9 Olio, Aldridge, Davis, Ferlatte, Hydock, Lepp, and McBride-Smith

This was my first time attending the festival.
I loved every minute and every story told.
I attended the workshop at UNA, the seminar at the Florence Library, and the storytelling event at both the Florence and Keller Libraries.  
I wish I could perform and tell stories like the storytellers. 

I spent the whole day at the Performance Center in the Guillot Building at UNA listening to great storytellers.

Barbara McBride-Smith didn't come to the festival because I wrote everything down. I think someone in her family was ill and she was unable to attend. The schedule above was changed. 

The first storyteller was Walt Aldridge. He sang & played his guitar for several songs that he wrote, "I loved her first," "No getting over me," and "Modern day Bonnie and Clyde." He discussed songwriting and the process of getting his songs produced. He works at UNA in the Department of the Entertainment Industry. He brought along with him his mother and fiancée.

Bil Lepp told the story "I like my dentist"! Bil's first trip to the dentist was to have a tooth pulled, but the amusing part was when he returned to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned. The hygienist left the room and told Bil not to get out of his seat. She should have told him not to touch anything. I thought I would laugh my socks off as he told the story. Bil is an older version of Dennis the Menace.

Bill told a story about when he was just a small boy and how his dad was going to shoot Santa Claus's reindeer, Rudolph. One day, he asks his dad how he got the bald spot on the top of his head, and his dad replies, 'Rudolph shot over it, leaving me with this bald spot.' Dad is going to kill Rudolph! I thought this was going to be the worst Christmas ever! So many things happened that year, and just before Christmas morning, I decided to unwrap the presents under the tree. I re-wrapped presents, put them back under the Christmas tree, and went to bed. The next morning, Rudolph was not dead, and I rushed to open my presents, but to my surprise!!!! My presents were different; instead of a football, I got a rag wrapped up in a football. I hurried to open another present only to find a can of soup. Mom knew I had opened my presents and rewrapperewrappedhe was teaching me a lesson!!!!!!

Dolores Hydock brings to life the story of a 12-year-old girl named Sallie Independence Foster who has three brothers who fought in the Civil War. 

Sallie's life after she marries, the birth of her children, the death of her mother, the death of her oldest daughter, the death of her husband, and then her own death. 

These stories are from Sallie's journals and letters, as well as those written home by her brothers during the Civil War.

Bobby Horton softly played and beautifully sang supporting songs.

Diane Ferlatte a storyteller along with Eric Swinderman performed by singing and telling many stories. She told a story about a tiger who had all the food and would not share it with the other animals, and how he was outsmarted by Brer Rabbit. She told a true story about Fannie Lou Hamer and her famous quote: “All my life I've been sick and tired. Now I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired."

Donald Davis's storyteller told the story about his mother, a schoolteacher, who did not want to learn to drive. Another story is about riding the octopus at the fair and how the two unfortunate and pitiful kittens came to be part of their family. Very funny, and I couldn't stop laughing. 

Donald shared another story about his family, specifically about being a one-car family, and how his mother learned to drive. My dad was a banker, and my mother was a teacher. One day, my dad said to my mother You need to know how to drive, so I won't have to take you to work and the kids to school. Finally, she learned to drive, but when my dad said we needed two cars, that was where she drew the line. Therefore, for years, we were a one-car family, and Dad tried and tried to persuade Mom to get another car. 

Finally, one day it worked! We drove by this car lot, and Dad told Mom, 'I just need half a car, just one that will get me to work and back.' Mom said, for Dad and me to get out of the car, we did, and then she slid over to the driver's seat and drove off. 

The salesperson came outside and said Can I help you and my dad said I just need a car to get me back and forth to work. Therefore, he took us around to the back side of the car lot where the cars were parked on the gravel. He said Just Today, you can have any car back here for just $100, so my dad thought, I'm going to get the biggest one back here. My dad said How much for this one and the salesperson said Today, you could have it for $75.00. The salesperson said every time you fill up with gas, you fill up with oil, so my dad paid the salesman. We started home, and that new car sputtered and sputtered. I said, 'Dad, what is wrong with the car?' Dad kindly replied, 'The car has a mind of its own.' Our new car changed its mind over forty times on the way home. I said, 'Dad, what is that smell inside the car?' and Dad kindly replied, 'A new car smell.' But to me, it smelled like mothballs and urine.  

Well, we drove that car for about three years. I reached the age of sixteen and began sharing driving duties with my dad in the old car. One day, I borrowed the car to pick up my friends because we were going to the bowling alley, and they replied, 'Can this car go faster? We could get there quicker if we walked.' Therefore, I gunned it! It went from twenty-five to fifty-five when we heard this awful sound. It just stopped, and we just laughed, not thinking we would have to walk back home. I called my dad and told him that he got our neighbor to bring a rope and pull the old car home. Dad had told our neighbor, who was the principal of the school where Mom worked, not to say anything to her about the car.

Mom was not home, so my dad parked the car in its regular spot and hung the keys where he always turned them. At supper that night, I waited for Dad to tell Mom about the vehicle, but he never did. He just said Maw, tomorrow I will need your car to go across town, and you can drive the old one. That was the end of that!

The next day, my mom, my brother, and I loaded into the old car, and my mom tried to crank it. It made an awful sound, and I said Mom, you flooded it! Therefore, she tried again, and it still would not crank. Mom said to go next door and get our neighbor, so I did. He came over to the car and said to Mom, " I think you have broken it. He took us to school that morning and brought us home that evening. Mom sat down to make the best supper ever for Dad. We sat down to supper that night, and not a word was said about the old car except that Mom said, I have talked to your uncle about getting a new car. " My daddy was happy, but he did not let on to Mom. Therefore, the next day we drove over to my uncle's car lot and bought a new car, and that is how we became a two-car family.

Day 3: Saturday, May 17, 2014

The first storyteller was Dolores Hydock – she told a story about her niece getting prepared for college, taking her shopping in the malls of Birmingham, and spending quite a bit of time with her on the sofa, talking. She told the story about her very independent mom who came to live with her. 

The white independent cat knocked on her door. Could this be her dead mother?  

Could this independent white cat be her mother reincarnated? 

Dolores can bring even the dullest stories to life. She is funny, inspiring, innovative, creative, and a great storyteller.

Bil Lepp shared a story about hiking in a California state park and his encounter with a mountain lion. He baptized the mountain lion nine times because cats are believed to have nine lives. Bill has a fantastic imitation and is a great storyteller. On both days, he brought his wife, two children, mother, and father-in-law to support him. Bil reminded me of Jeff Foxworthy. 

Donald Davis told the story of how his father became known as cripple Joe. Donald said if my dad had not been a cripple, his life would have been so different. He said my dad always said to make the most of what life deals you.

Donald is funny, intelligent, and very down-to-earth. I could listen to him all day.

Diane Ferlatte, accompanied by Eric Swinderman, sang and shared stories about her mother's life growing up in Louisiana, her marriage, and her move to California, as well as her experiences traveling by airplane, living with her and her grandchildren, and her eventual death. She sang several spiritual songs. Diane puts her soul into songs and storytelling.

Walt Aldridge told stories about songwriting. His first song was "Holding her & Loving you," recorded by Earl Thomas Conley. Walt sang a song about a spiritual prayer of a child, and somehow that prayer filtered through into heaven to be answered by GOD! Walt is funny, witty, wise, a great storyteller, and a very down-to-earth person.

Dolores brought to life the true stories of strong women who settled in the West. Thankfully, I did not live in the good old days of the Wild West, where people traveled up to five months to reach California. It was recounted that it was difficult for women to make a living during the 1800s, and men, n well n women, could be bold and willing to take risks to be different. 

Day 1: I spent the day at UNA in a workshop with Dolores Hydock and several other women who were given new names.

Day 2: I spent the day at the Florence Library, where I listened to Dolores share her story about Chandler Mountain. Then, I traveled to the Keller Library in Tuscumbia to hear Dolores tell the story of Norman Rockwell. Drove home only to come back to Tuscumbia to see the Wild West Rodeo Stampede Parade and hear the Pine Hill Hiank's sing.

Day 3: I spent the entire day at the UNA Storytelling Festival sitting beside my friend Wanda, listening to Walt Aldridge, Bil Lepp, Donald Davis, Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman, Dolores Hydock, and Bobby Horton

Day 4: I spent the entire day at the UNA Storytelling Festival sitting beside my friend Wanda, listening to Walt Aldridge, Bil Lepp, Donald Davis, Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman, Dolores Hydock, and Bobby Horton

I had the best time ever, and I hope to repeat it again next year, on Friday, May 15, & Saturday, May 16, 2015.