2019 Shoals Front Porch Pop-up & Storytelling Festival

Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival 2019 

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

May 6, 2019, 2-3PM, 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 telling of “Jundo Swans,” Aldrich’s funny, touching short story that’s a reminder that there.

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

May 16, 2019, 10-11AM 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, 4-5PM 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 known for its keeping of unbroken ballad and storytelling traditions 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 AM – 5 PM (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 5pm)

5:00-7:00 Dinner 

7-9 PM–Storyteller Showcase with Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bil Lepp, and Josh Goforth

May 18, 9AM – 5:15 PM (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 5pm)

5:15-7:00 Dinner

7-9PM – 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.

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 and chicken and steak 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 uses a variety of stringed instruments for his ballads and stories.
His stories included friends and relatives, many about his tobacco chewing, never taking the shortcut to hard work grand-paw.
Bill Lepp's, believe it or not, Paul Bunyon 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 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 told 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 Josh Goforth played the guitar, a banjo, and fiddle sang ballads, & told stories about life in Madison Couty, North Carolina.

The storytelling festival has come to a bittersweet end, and cannot wait until next year.

2017 May 19-20, Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival

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

7:30-9:00PM
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
9:00-9:30AM Don White- Love and Growing Up
9:30-10:00AM Bil Lepp Love my dentist
Break
10:15-10:45AM Donald Davis
10:45-12:15PM 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 with water and lemon to drink.
We saw several of the storytellers at the restaurant.
We walked through Wilson Park, looking at all the vendors wearing 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 AM

Free Storytelling Workshop UNA front porch storytelling festival with Dolores Hydock

UNA George Lindsey Theater

2014, May 14,12:30-3:30 PM Florence Library Bill Huddleston

Using Storytelling for Adults Storytelling anywhere for anyone

2014 May 15,11:30-12:30PM Florence Library Dolores Hydock 

Footprints on the sky Memories of Chandler Mountain 

2014 May 15,1:30-2:30PM Keller Library Dolores Hydock 

Norman Rockwell every picture tells a story 

Friday, May 16, 2014

9:00-9:50AM Walt Aldridge talked about his writing 

10:00-10:50AM BIL LEPP talked about I love my dentist

11:00-11:50AM Dolores Hydock-told story about Sallie Independence Foster

12noon 2:00PM Lunch

2:00-2:50PM Donal Davis-

3:00-3:50PM Diane Ferlatte-told story about Burr Rabbit

4:00-4:50PM Barbara McBride-Smith

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

Saturday, May 17, 2014

9:00-9:50AM Barbara McBride-Smith 

10:00-10:50AM Donald Davis-cripple Joe

11:00-11:50AM Diane Ferlatte-Talked about her mother

12noon-2:00PM lunch

2:00-2:50PM Dolores Hydock-Talked about her mom & her cat and women of the west

3:00-3:50PM Bil Lepp-Talked mountain lions

4:00-4:50PM Walt Aldridge-Talked 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 workshop at Florence Library, and the storytelling at Florence and Keller Libraries.  
I wish I could perform and tell stories like the storytellers. 

I spent the whole day at Performance Center in the Guillot building at UNA listening to GREAT Storytellers.

I don't think that Barbara McBride-Smith came to the festival because I wrote everything down. I think someone in her family was sick and she could not 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 talked about songwriting and getting his songs produced. I think he works at UNA in the Department of 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 get a tooth pulled but the funny part was when he went back 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 Clause’s reindeer, Rudolph. One day he asks his dad how he got the bald spot on the top of his head and he replied, Rudolph, shot over it leaving me with this bald spot. Dad is going to kill Rudolph! I thought this is going to be the worst Christmas ever! So many things happened that year and just before Christmas morning I decided to unwrap, my presents under that were the tree. I re-wrapped my 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 rewrapped them, she was teaching me a lesson!!!!!!

Dolores Hydock brings to life the story of a 12 years girl named Sallie Independence Foster who has three brothers that 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 written home from 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 kittens unfortunate and pitiful came to be part of their family. Very funny and I could not stop laughing. 

Donald told another story about his family as a one-car family and how his mother learned how to drive. My dad was a banker and my mother was a teacher one day my dad said to my mother you need to learn 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 need two cars that were where she drawled the line. Therefore, for years we were a one-car family, dad tried and tried to talk mom into getting another car. 

Finally, one day it worked! We drove by this car lot and dad told mom, I need just 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 backside 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 am 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 shared driving the old car with my dad. 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 faster if we walked. Therefore, I gunned it! It went 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, 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 tell her anything about the car.

Mom was not home so my dad parked the car in its regular spot and hung the keys where he always hung them. At supper that night, I waited for dad to tell mom about the car 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 mom, my brother, and I loaded into the old car and 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 overlooked at 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 set into making the best supper ever for dad. We sat down to supper that night and not a word was said about the old car except mom said, I have talked to your uncle about getting a new carboy was my daddy 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 just spending quite a 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 to life even the dullest stories. She is funny, inspiring, smart, creative, and a great storyteller.

Bil Lepp told the story about hiking in a state park in California and his encounter with a mountain lion. How he baptized the mountain lion nine times because cats have nine lives. Bill has a great imitation and is a great storyteller. On both days he brought with him his wife, his two children, his mother, and his 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, smart, and very down-to-earth. I could listen to him all day.

Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman sang and told stories about her mother growing up in Louisiana, marrying, and moving to California, traveling on an airplane, living with her, and her grandchildren, and her 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, smart, 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. Thank God, I did not live in the good old days of the Wild, Wild West where they traveled up to five months to reach California. She told how hard it was for a woman to make a living during the 1800s and how women even then could be bold, and willing to take a risk 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 listing to Dolores telling her story about Chandler Mountain and then I traveled to Keller Library in Tuscumbia to listen to 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 day entire at the UNA Storytelling Festival sitting beside my friend Wanda listing to Walt Aldridge, Bil Lepp, Donald Davis, Diane Ferlatte with Eric Swinderman, Dolores Hydock, and Bobby Horton

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

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