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DOWNS — Join us this Saturday night as the Kansas Storytelling Festival hosts a Tall Tales contest in Downs, the “Storytelling Capital of Kansas.”
The fun-filled evening begins at 7:00 p.m. on October 11, at the Zion Lutheran Church, 1019 Blunt St., Downs. Everyone is welcome to attend this free storytelling event and hear some outrageous and semi-true whoppers. The audience helps select the winner by voting for their favorite story.
If you’ve ever thought about telling a Tall Tale in public, there’s still time to enter.
This tall tales contest is open for anyone interested in being one of the four finalists who will perform at the 2026 Kansas Storytelling Festival, April 24-25, 2026 in Downs. This is the third and final qualifying contest this year.
The first qualifier was held in Tonganoxie, KS where Larry Brown, Columbia, MO, became the first finalist. Matthew Kitchen, Derby, won the second qualifying contest in Wichita. The last two finalists will be selected on Saturday.
A tall tale is a unique form of American story telling in which the narrator usually has a part in the story.
Telling a tall tale uses exaggerated detail describing things larger than they really are. A tall tale is a story based on a fact, or facts, and filled with unbelievable elements told as if they were true and factual. A tall tale has just enough truth to make a good story and to incite the imagination.
Professional storytellers can not compete. Information and rules for the Tall Competition are posted at kansasstorytellingfestival.com
The Kansas Storytelling Festival began in 1994 in Downs. Next spring will be its 32nd year of celebrating storytelling. Several years later, a Tall Tales contest began and continues at the festival on Friday evening with four finalists trying to win the travelling trophy – a shovel. The highlight of the festival’s Friday night performance is the Tall Tales Contest.
For more information or to register for this event, please contact Jeri at 785-454-1177 or go to the Kansas Storytelling Festival website https://www.kansasstorytellingfestival.com/ or the Kansas Storytelling FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/KansasStorytellingFestival.
Stories must be between 5 and 7 minutes long. Family-friendly stories only.