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Over the weekend of Feb 1- Feb 3, the Heritage Hall on Main Street was home to the 16th Annual Vancouver Storytelling Festival. CJSF volunteer, Kelsey Singbeil, took in a couple of tales on the Festival's opening night.

“A feast of tales and tales of feasts,” pronounced the Vancouver Society of Storytelling’s Festival brochure. This appetizing invitation filled the Heritage Hall on February 1 with a crowd eager to take in some sumptuous stories and support their local and visiting tellers.

The Hall was transformed into an intimate setting for tales of Arctic ice, foreign Sultans and British wheels of cheese. Scott McQueen of Yellowknife recalled his memories of sled dogs and his father’s quick shot, while David Villegas of Vancouver helped find his path with the help a stray dog. The night jumped from teller to teller and style to style, and gave the audience a good taste of what the Festival had in store.

A particular favourite was the night’s closing storyteller, Helen May. Her tale of finding her way over the mountains of Bolivia in a Volkswagen Van struck a chord with my own experiences of driving in Latin America. I was thrilled to find someone else telling my story, and it drove home the fact that we all have a story to share. The simplicity of listening to others and telling a story is a tradition that the Festival and the Society of Storytelling brought to life.

The Society of Storytelling is committed to the development and encouragement of storytelling. They organize and present events throughout the year – the annual Festival, workshops, concerts and story swaps. Check out their website at www.vancouverstorytelling.org for more information and to become a member.