Students at the 11th Annual Athens Storytelling Festival can't control their laughter while listening to Donald Davis weave a tale of brotherly antics at his grandmother's house. This year's festival runs Oct. 23-27.

It’s that time of the year when the air turns crisp and the storytellers arrive on The Square, spinning yarns and telling of days gone by to audiences young and old from near and far.

The 12th annual Athens Alabama Storytelling Festival runs from Oct. 23-27 and, as in years past, will take place in a giant red tent on The Square. Sharing stories that range from the hilarious to the heartbreaking favorite storytellers Donald Davis, Carmen Deedy and Bill Lepp will be joined by newcomers Josh Goforth and Tim Lowery.

Also new for this year is a student segment, featuring seven tellers from Limestone County and Athens City Schools. These young story spinners will take the stage to tell their own tales during the student portion of the event.

A grant from the Alabama Legislature allows Tennessee Valley students to attend the event for free over a two-day period. Event organizer, Wayne Kuykendall said funding from the Legislature paid for 7,500 public and private school students to come to the festival last year, noting Alabama is the only state in the nation that does something like that.

He said providing a free seat to students is important because storytelling — an age-old form of keeping family records and preserving culture — is losing significance in today’s electronic age.

“We want kids who are so electronically in tune today to learn to communicate, talk and listen,” he said. “Storytelling has value and is old as anything we have.”

He also said the festival, which, according to ticket sales thus far, has attracted people from 14 different states, provides a major boon to the local economy.

Last year, the festival brought in approximately $800,000 in revenue, yet Kuykendall said it only costs about $70,000 to put together.

“It is good for the community all around,” he said, “It brings in people who spend the night, shop at our local stores, eat at our restaurants and in the long run, have a lasting affect on our local businesses.”

In addition to attracting thousands of school-age students, Kuykendall said they sold 1,250 tickets last year and are on track to sell even more this time around.

For Kuykendall, however, the benefits of the Storytelling Festival go far beyond generating revenue.

“I enjoy just seeing the kids come into the tent and watch them get so engaged and have so much fun,” he said. “One of the main reasons we do this every year is to keep oral traditions alive for the next generation.”

The festival will start Tuesday with the Dan Williams Local Tellers Competition, so named for the state representative who passed away in 2015. Featuring a dozen local amateur tellers including historian and lawyer Jerry Barksdale, Suzanne’s Bakery and Eatery owner Suzanne Chandler, former Athens High School basketball coach Jerry Todd and FAME Academy at Brookhill teacher Leah Oakley, contestants will compete for a place alongside the professionals during the Thursday-night olio.

In storytelling, an olio is a variety show that includes a medley of stories and tellers. The tellers will continue to share their tales Friday and Saturday in the big red tent on The Square.

Storytellers will also put on a show at the Athens-Limestone Public Library from 1:30–2:30 p.m. Saturday during a free event open to children of all ages.

For more information about the festival or to purchase tickets, go to https://www.athensstorytellingfestival.com/. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Athens-Limestone Tourism Association, 100 N. Beaty St., Athens. The Center for Lifelong Learning will also have tickets available on the day of the event.