In recognition of your support, this year’s festival is FREE
Meet the storytellers
Bil Lepp
Bil Lepp is five time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest. He tells original, hilarious, tales that will bring a smile to the face of even the most ill-humored person at your event. Bil has been a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival several times, and at The Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Bil is the author of three books of tales, four audio collections, and he has had stories published in several national magazines. Duke Divinity Magazine called Bil’s stories, "Awe inspiring cathedrals of flapdoddle and bull." Bil has been telling tales for over fifteen years. He tells original tall-tales written by himself and his brother. Bil has been a regular at the West Virginia Liars Contest since 1990.
Kim Weitkamp
Kim Weitkamp is a master at building bridges from story to song to story. Her stories weave precious memories and delightful details together into panoramic pictures that take us on a personal journey into the very soul of family. Like all good storytellers, she evokes both laughter and tears, but her smooth, silky voice, impeccable timing, and dead-on anticipation of her listeners’ needs place her at the pinnacle of her craft.
Andy Offutt Irwin
A native to Covington, Georgia, Andy Offutt Irwin started out in comedy, but added music and storytelling because he had a lot more to say. When he’s home, he is the Artist-In-Residence at Oxford College of Emory University where he directs plays and works on theatre and storytelling techniques with students. He spent five years writing, directing and performing with the comedy improve troupe, SAK Theatre at Walt Disney World. He is the host, storyteller, and audience trainer for the radio show, Evening Star, on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Andy performs at major storytelling festival throughout the US, libraries, theaters, and numerous schools.
Alton Chung
Alton Takiyama-Chung grew up with the stories, superstitions, and magic of the Hawaiian Islands. This combined with his Japanese and Korean roots, gives him a unique perspective to tell cultural tales and personal stories with a deep sense of reverence and authenticity. Not only does he breathe life into traditional Asian folktales with sensitivity and deep connection, but he can also touch into the fire of ancient Hawaiian legends and tell them with passion and respect. Alton also enjoys telling true stories of the Japanese-Americans during WWII, but his true passion is telling ghost stories.
