A Brief History

Ocoee Story Fest began with a dream by Cleveland Storytelling Guild Members of bringing nationally known storytellers to Cleveland, Tennessee.   After years of struggling and hoping, in 1996 events conspired to suggest this was the time to take the bold step and try our hand at festival production.   That year Cleveland State Community College suggested that the college and the storytelling guild collaborate to have a storytelling event on the campus of Cleveland State.   Through the CSCC Curriculum and Education Outreach Committee, a grant was awarded to get the process underway.   The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

The Ocoee River near Cleveland was selected as the Whitewater Venue for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games.   With all the publicity of the Olympics and the name recognition involving the Ocoee River, we called our festival Ocoee Story Fest.   For our first attempt we decided to invite ONE teller.   Our format would be to put that teller in several area schools, provide a free evening concert, and offer a morning workshop for a minimal charge.   As a boon to guild members we would also have a private guild workshop in connection with the event.   The festival was successful, and with variations on the original format, Ocoee Story Fest has become an annual event.

As the festival has grown the monetary contribution from Cleveland State Community College has declined, along with the state budget for higher education. CSCC remains one of the festival's primary supporters.   The concerts for Ocoee Story Fest will again be held in Coleman Auditorium this year on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.  However, a public workshop will be held off-campus in 2007 at the Museum Center at 5ive Points on Tuesday evening.  The Museum Center has become a partner in the festival for the first time this year./p>

We anticipate for the majority of the festival in 2008 to be held at the Museum Center.   Cleveland State has let the bid for remodeling Coleman Auditorium, and the project is not expected to be completed by next year's festival.

Continued growth of the festival depends upon the financial support of the community.   Ocoee Story Fest has historically had tax exempt status by virtue of its association with TSA(Tennessee Storytelling Association).  This umbrella for tax exemption is no longer available.   Therefore, in 2005 the guild started the process for 501(c)(3) tax exemption in our own name.   The first step involved in becoming incorporated in Tennessee.  As of January 3, 2006, the Cleveland Storytelling Guild became an incorporated body in Tennessee.   The process continues with pursuit of direct tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. Hopefully, that status will have been competed by OSF 2008.

Please consider helping as the Guild continues to bring world class storytelling to Cleveland.

These are the featured tellers from previous festivals:

• 1996   Michael Parent
• 1997    Janice Harrington
• 1998   Betty Ann Wylie 
• 1999   Dan Keding
• 2000   Charles Maynard and Mary Hamilton
• 2001   The Story Weavers and Ann Wilson
• 2002   Jennifer Armstrong
• 2003   Elizabeth Rose
• 2004   Donald Davis
• 2005   10^th Anniversary--All previous tellers were invited to come back. Michael Parent, Ann Wilson, Charles Maynard and Elizabeth Rose were able to come.
• 2006   Bil Lepp
• 2007   Willy Claflin