Friday, November 6th @ 9AM – 1:30PM
Tickets $30 for this segment | $70 for full festival pass
Click here to see full festival schedule and featured storyteller bios

9 – 10:15a: Concurrent Workshops, Sunset Lounge

• “Pin the Tail on the Narrative, Sort of Lawn Darts meets Eudora Welty,” with Andy Offutt Irwin 

This raucous workshop involves the careless dropping of pens* and carefully guided steps for developing personal narratives, freeing participants to delve into the past and chip away at the unmovable stone of self-doubt to reveal the treasure of new stories.

Each participant will be paired with a partner (a stranger is best). They’ll be guided to create a list of roles they have played throughout their life, beginning in childhood, and continuing on through their high school years, work life,  social life,  family life,  etc.  

Three of these roles will be randomly and magically selected and paired with three unavoidable life experiences culled from a list of twenty.  Things like: Turning Point.  Choice.  Conflict.  Loss.  Challenge.  Decision…

Three pairs will be whittled down, and the most interesting pair will be picked by their partner.

A story will be developed using the four elements of The Hero’s Journey:  Quest.  Obstacle.  Resolution.  New wisdom.

*We will be literally dropping pens, and I don’t toss the word literally around, so the pen you bring to the workshop shouldn’t be your grandfather’s old fountain pen. A Bic® stolen from a motel is preferred. 

• “Story Dynamics: Connecting with Your Audience,” with Megan Wells

We can know a story in our bones, AND, the magic of delivering that story to an audience requires an extra layer of skills.  In this engaging hands-on workshop, Megan will lead you in exercises that will further amplify your audience impact.
10:30 – 11:45a: Pacific Northwest Guild Tellers Performance, Theater

11:45 – 1:45p: Break for Lunch

Attendees encouraged to pre-order a boxed lunch through the Sunset Lounge at checkout. 

12:15 – 1:30p: Story Slam “Light” Open Mic, Sunset Lounge Stage

Teller’s names will be pulled at random for the opportunity to tell a five-minute true, personal story on the theme: “Second Chances”.

27TH ANNUAL FOREST STORYTELLING FESTIVAL | NOVEMBER 5 – 7, 2026
For more information about the Forest Storytelling Festival, please visit: fieldhallevents.org/forest-storytelling-festival

Click here for an all-inclusive festival pass.

Welcome to the Annual Forest Storytelling Festival in Port Angeles, WA! World class storytellers will make you laugh uproariously and will tug at your heartstrings. Everyone — from preteens, grandparents and everybody in between — will find stories of love, comedy and inspiration.
Our storytellers will invite you into the lives of people, fictional and real. These are characters who are, on the inside, just like you. They’re also people from many cultures, coming alive in the voices of tellers from all over the globe.

Enjoy inspiring workshops, entertaining live performances with expert storytellers, networking opportunities, and open “story slam” opportunities for you to share your tales. A full weekend of stories inside the beautiful Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles, Washington.
The Story People of Clallam County is a guild that promotes the art of storytelling. We all have stories to share… come share them with us!