Cape to host storytelling festival in April

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau is hoping that local storytelling events over the past few years have fostered an interest in the art that will translate into big-event success.

Next spring the CVB will sponsor the city's first storytelling festival, to be held downtown April 4 through 6. Four well-known national storytellers -- Donald Davis, willy Claflin, Sheila Kay Adams and Dan Keding -- will be featured, along with five other well-known Midwest storytellers.

CVB president Chuck Martin and Southeast Missouri State University history professor Dr. Joel Rhodes said inspiration for the event came partially from a national storytelling festival they attended in 2006 in Jonesborough, Tenn.

"We were blown away by the attendance and ticket prices," Martin said. About 10,000 people attended the event, Martin said.

While the CVB doesn't hope for that kind of turnout in Cape Girardeau's first year on the circuit, Martin said local interest in storytelling combined with the featured performers' national following should make the event a success.

Rhodes attended this year's national festival in Tennessee promoting the Cape Girardeau event. That was over the weekend, and Rhodes said he's already received calls and e-mails from people in several states interested in attending.

For more information call the CVB at 335-1631.