The Spirit of Athens downtown revitalization group is aiming to put this city on the map for those with a taste for Southern folklore.

On the weekend of Oct. 26-27, 2007, the organization is sponsoring the first annual Spirit of Athens Storytelling Festival. The first organizational meeting for the event was last week at the Chamber of Commerce.

Local residents Wayne Kuykendall, Jim Hays, and Charlie Hughes have been traveling to storytelling festivals throughout the eastern U.S. in recent months talking with organizers and storytellers.

“We’ve been talking to the folks at Jonesboro about the pitfalls, dos and don’ts of putting on a festival,” said Kuykendall. He said Dr. William Kennedy, one of the Jonesboro organizers, has offered his assistance to Athens in getting its event started.

Jonesboro, Tenn., is the site of the annual International Storytelling Festival, which began in 1994 as a revitalization project for a dying downtown area. Today, the festival is considered one of the most prestigious of storytelling venues, drawing sponsorship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Krispy Kreme and the Arts Council of Tennessee.

“Jonesboro had just about died,” said Kuykendall. “But then the whole town got involved. Now, they do four events a year. About 15,000 people come and the stores stay open late. It’s a real family event with vendors selling good food on the streets.”

Hughes said there’s always a lot of excitement for these events –“Especially when you find a parking space.” Hughes said the town also features singing on the square every Friday night from May through September. Greater Limestone Chamber of Commerce Tourism Director Jeanette Rich implemented a monthly singing on the square this summer.

“Kathryn Tucker Windham has given us a ‘maybe,’” said Kuykendall.

Kuykendall said he has gotten verbal commitments from four popular storytellers:

• Carmen Agra Deedy. Born in Havana, Cuba, Deedy, now of Decatur, Ga., is best known for her razor-sharp wit and light, entertaining style. An award-winning recording artist and author of numerous best-selling books for children, Deedy is often featured on National Public Radio.

• Donald Davis. Born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories, Davis, of North Carolina, grew up hearing gentle fairy tales, simple and silly Jack tales, scary mountain lore, ancient Welsh and Scottish folktales.

• Andy Offut Irwin. A native of Covington, Ga., Irwin started out in comedy, but added music and storytelling. His presentations employ a manic Silly Putty voice, astonishing mouth noises, and hilarious stories. He is equal parts mischievous schoolboy and the Marx Brothers, peppered with a touch of the Southern balladeer.

• Bil Lepp. Five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest, Lepp tells original, hilarious, tales that will bring a smile to the face of even the most ill-humored person. He has been a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival several times, and at The Smithsonian Folklife Festival. He is the author of three books of tales, four audio collections, and he has had stories published in several national magazines.