Porch Stories Set for Early January & Our 40th Annual Florida Storytelling Festival in Mount Dora

Free and open to the public on the famed rocking-chair-lined porch of the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, the storytelling runs from 10 am to 1 pm on Friday and Saturday (in case of inclement weather we move to the lobby inside).

After 7 years as a full-time RVer, Joanna Demarest has gathered quite a few tales from the road.  Come hear the stories of her 10,000-mile Odyssey in her program, “Turn Around When Possible”.  Joanna also organizes and tells stories at Florida’s Barberville Pioneer Settlement.

Janel has been a teller at our Florida festival several times including porch telling last year as well as the From the Heart showcase.  In addition to being a teller at other state festivals and numerous liars’ contests, she was in our festival showcase in 2020. 

Andy’s stories and songs are colorful, heartfelt, and amusing, often recalling his Southern roots. He has performed at diverse venues in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Twice selected for the Florida Festival’s From the Heart Showcase, Andy now serves on the FSA board

Imagine stepping into a time machine. Jim is a historic storyteller and published author, breathing new life into forgotten accounts and obscure individuals of Industrial America (1850s-1950s). With two volumes published, Jim plans many more.

Carol told stories to school children in Long Island, NY, for years before retiring to Florida.  A visit to a Florida Storytelling Festival where she told at a story swap rekindled her desire to share. She has 60 fables and fairy tales in her repertoire.

Cheryl’s work reflects the richness of her southern Louisiana roots and Cajun heritage. She shares personal tales, folktales, and stories of transformation. Her career also includes over 30 years in education, publishing, coaching, public speaking, and writing,

Debra, who currently serves as president of the FSA, is an educator, performer, singer, storyteller, and during the hoilidays she becomes Mrs. Santa Claus. Active with the Tale Tellers of St. Augustine, she sings folks songs and tells lively participatory folktales.

After living in Massachusetts for over 35 years where she was well-known as a storyteller and an educator who taught storytelling, Katie relocated to Dunedin where she continues to share stories of Truth, Folk & Faery.  She is an active FSA member and a Fringe teller at this year’s festival.

Natalie Beltrami is an award-winning artist, poet, actress and storyteller.  She believes that telling our stories can help to heal the violence and anger in our world by showing us our common humanity.  Ever since she took a workshop from Elizabeth Ellis many years ago, she has tried to tell the “hard” stories. She may tell a few on the porch.  

Judy Nichols has been enjoying multi-age audiences for more than 40 years as a librarian, professional storyteller, and author of “Storytimes for Two-Year-Olds.” She and husband Jim retired to Florida in 2009 and now live in Dunedin.  

An internationally celebrated Storyteller, Carrie Sue Ayvar, has been connecting cultures, people, languages, and curriculum in both English and Spanish for over forty years. She is an award-winning storyteller who blends traditional, international, and personal tales.

Raised by a family full of beautiful, crazy Southern women, Pepper listened to family stories on Sunday afternoons from her favorite place, beneath her Grandmaw’s big old mahogany kitchen table. Her stories reflect a childhood spent letting her imagination get away from her far too often, a love affair with books and the written word, and a mother who encouraged coloring outside the lines.