Heard any good stories lately...?

There was once a man who was being chased by a pack of wolves across a field. At the edge of the field there was a cliff. In order to escape the wolves, the man caught hold of a vine and swung himself over the edge of the cliff. Dangling down, he saw, to his dismay, there were more wolves on the ground below him! And, furthermore, two little mice were gnawing on the vine to which he clung. He knew that at any moment he would fall to certain death. That's when he noticed a wild strawberry growing on the cliff wall. Clutching the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other and put it in his mouth.

He never before realized how sweet a strawberry could taste.

Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in words, images, and sounds often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories have been shared in every culture and in every land as a means of entertainment, education, preservation of culture and in order to instill moral values. Storytelling has existed as long as humanity has had language. It's the world of myth, of history, of the imagination...it explains life. Every culture has its stories and legends, just as every culture has its storytellers and often revered figures with the magic of the tale in their voices and minds.

McCook’s annual celebration of storytelling and storytellers, the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival, will take place the weekend of May 30 and 31 and feature appearances by storytellers Barbara McBride-Smith and Andy Offutt Irwin, as well as the musical ensemble, Boulder Acoustic Society.

Barbara McBride-Smith, who will be making her third appearance in the festivals 11-year history, has performed at hundreds of festivals and conferences across the U.S. McBride-Smith has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee seven times.

Andy Offutt Irwin has a background in standup comedy, but has added music and storytelling to his repertoire and performs festivals, theatres and schools throughout the United States, including two appearances as a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival. Irwin is described by Buffalo Commons organizers as “Zany.”

In addition to the Fox Theater concerts to be held on May 30 and 31, both Andy Offutt Irwin and Boulder Acoustic Society will offer workshops at the McCook Community College on the afternoon of Friday, May 30. The Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival is supported, in part, by The Nebraska Arts Council.

Guide to country and small town events and entertainment

Fresh, funky, rugged and fun describe what we do for entertainment in Southwest and South Central Nebraska.  Whatever your interests – festivals, rodeos, car shows, marathons, fishing contests, bird watching, carnivals, county fairs, art galleries, theatre or music – you’ll find it happening here. Listed below are links to some of our favorite places to find fun things to do.

Auto racing in McCook
www.mccookspeedway.com

Events in Alma and Harlan County Lake
www.almaisforyou.com/events.asp

Fishing by Kayakjak in Benkelman
www.kayakjak.com

Graham Gallery of Fine Art in Hastings
www.grahamgallery.com

Horse events and rodeo in McCook
www.kiplingerarena.com

Performing arts and art gallery in Red Cloud
www.willacather.org

Performing arts in Holdrege
www.thetassel.org

Performing arts, art gallery in Minden
www.mindenoperahouse.com

Tri-City Storm semi-pro ice hockey
www.pickmytickets.com

Visit Nebraska Wineries
www.vintagenebraska.org