Mariposa Storytelling Festival

By Paul Wilson












The 19th Mariposa Storytelling Festival will feature six storytellers, Bill Harley, Kala JoJo, Bil Lepp, Leeny Del Seamonds, Clara Yen, and Dovie Thomason. Each have their own unique style of delivery and their particular subjects.

Vendor booths at the Festival open on Friday, March 10th at 6:00 p.m. All six storytellers will perform in the Mariposa County High School auditorium from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Then at 10:00 p.m. they will tell spooky tales until 11:30 p.m.

On Saturday, March 11th, the booths and breakfast will be available at 8:15 a.m., with the hour-long storytelling periods starting at 9:00 a.m. with Bill Harley in the auditorium, and Kala JoJo in the High School library. At 10:20 a.m., Leeny Del Seamonds will be in the auditorium, and Clara Yen will at in the High School Library. At 11:40 a.m., Dovie Thomason will be at the auditorium, and Bil Lepp will be in the High School library.

During the lunch break from 12:50 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., Mariposans will have a chance to display their own storytelling skills at the Story Swap in the High School library. Those who wish to participate should sign up at the information booth at 8:40 a.m. After the lunch break, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the auditorium, Leeny Del Seamonds and Kala JoJo will perform stories targeted at a younger age group, while Dovie Thomason and Clara Yen will tell stories for a bit older audience in the High School library. At 3:20 p.m. until 4:20 p.m., Bill Harley and Bil Lepp will be in the auditorium telling more of their stories. A dinner break will be taken until 7:00 p.m., after which all six storytellers will be in the auditorium to share some more stories at the end of a day filled with lots of imagination and some outright lying.

Sunday, March 12th, the last day of the Festival, will start with a chance to meet and speak with the storytellers from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. during a free reception at the Mariposa Museum and History Center. From 3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the Cliff Room at the Yosemite Lodge in Yosemite National Park, all six storytellers will perform together again, telling the last few stories in this year’s festival.

For a brochure with all the rates for entrance, additional information on each storyteller, and a map of the locations, go to the Mariposa County Arts Council located on the left behind the Pizza Factory on 5th Street and Highway 140/49 or visit their website: http://www.arts-mariposa.org/storytelling.html