Storytelling weekend planned at Dangberg park in Minden

A weekend of Storytelling brings a variety of talent to the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, 2017.

The featured tellers at this year’s event are Willy Claflin, world-music percussion band The Batamba Collective, Mother Lode Storytelling Guild tellers Linda Kennedy and Joan McCammon, and Chautauquan Larry Lippmann as “Hank Monk.” The weekend also features early afternoon shows specifically for families and children, an open mic telling concert, and a session with Carson Valley residents sharing their memories.

“Storytelling is an art that is almost limitless in its possibilities of presentation,” said the park’s events manager, Kim Harris. “While there are performances specifically for children, the evening events will appeal to all ages.”

This event is sponsored by Soaring NV, Douglas County, Nevada Arts Council, Holiday Inn Express, and the Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation.

Saturday’s featured teller is award winning storyteller Willy Claflin. Claflin has been a professional storyteller since 1983. Along with his famous sidekick, Maynard Moose, he has appeared at hundreds of schools, colleges and libraries across the United States, and at dozens of storytelling festivals. He is a recipient of the Oracle Award (storytelling’s version of the Oscars) from the National Storytelling Network.

On Saturday, June 24 at 1 p.m., Claflin will give a concert especially for families with children ages 5 and up. Willy and Maynard the Moose are also the authors of four award-winning children’s books, including The Uglified Ducky, which won the Texas Bluebonnet Award for best children’s book of the year. This concert is free for all to attend.

At 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, guild tellers Linda Kennedy and Joan McCammon will emcee an Open Mic Telling Session. Those interested should come prepared with a non-political, family-friendly story of five minutes or less. Personal tales, folk tales or cowboy poetry are all fine to tell, but not read. Please email events@dangberghomeranch to sign-up for this session, which is free of charge for tellers and audience.

Linda Kennedy has been telling stories for almost thirty years, and has told to audiences of all ages in schools, libraries, festivals, community organizations, and more. She is also a member of Foothill Storytelling Guild, Sacramento Storytelling Guild, and National Storytelling Network, and for the past seven years has been the emcee for the Open Telling Concert at the Sierra Storytelling Festival.

Joan McCammon has been telling stories in a variety of settings for the past twenty years. She began in Santa Clarita, Calif., by portraying historical figures in the American Association of University Women’s “Women in History” program. She has lead school field trips as an outdoor educator and storyteller, and has been a school librarian. She is a founding member of the Foothill Storytelling Guild.

Opening the Saturday, June 24, evening concert at 5:30 p.m. is The Batamba Collective. Band members Brandon Dodge, Ryan Burt, Chance Utter, Anthony Landers and Adrian Rodriguez are dedicated to the mixing and honoring of cultures from India to Cuba and from Brazil to Africa. They feature Indian classical music (Hindustani or Carnatic), Samba music from Brazil, Ewe music from Ghana, Shona music from Zimbabwe, and Rumba and Bata from Cuba, as well as bringing in their own influences of orchestral music and jazz.

At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, award winning storyteller Willy Claflin will headline the first evening of this two-day event. Known as a “one-man storytelling festival,” Claflin tells traditional and original tales, performs a wide variety of traditional and original music, and is “speaking-mouth person” for Maynard Moose, the only quadruped on the storytelling circuit today. He is well known for his historical tales, too; especially for his story of Victoria Claflin Woodhull, his infamous ancestor who was the first woman to run for president in 1872.

Entrance to the evening concert on Saturday is $5 for adults, free for 16 and younger, and free for members of the Friends of Dangberg Home Ranch.

Events on Sunday, June 25, starts at 1 p.m. with a children’s interactive concert with Linda Kennedy and Joan McCammon. This concert features stories, songs, and interactive play, ending with an audience participation melodrama. This event is free for all to attend.

At 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nancy Raven will lead a local group of tellers sharing their own Carson Valley memories. This group has been meeting at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center to share their stories of growing up, living, working and playing in Carson Valley. This session is free of charge.

Opening the Sunday, June 25, concert at 5:30 p.m. is Chautauquan Larry Lippmann portraying famous local stage coach driver “Hank Monk.” Lippmann has been an actor for the Carson Valley Community Theater and the Proscenium Players, performing in several plays. He is a retired high school teacher who taught at Douglas High School. He relates to Hank Monk because he once had a job as a bus driver, which included carting people to and from the valley and Lake Tahoe.

Hank Monk was a legendary stage coach driver from 1852 to 1886. He was famous for his skills and for his famous ride from Genoa to Placerville with passenger Horace Greeley. He was immortalized by Mark Twain in his book, “Roughing It.”

At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, guild tellers Linda Kennedy and Joan McCammon will headline. Each will take the stage to share their own stories and then perform as a duo telling more fun tales.

Entrance to the evening concert on Sunday is $5 for adults, free for 16 and younger, and free for members of the Friends of Dangberg Home Ranch.

The full Dangberg Summer Festival event schedule is available at dangberghomeranch.org.

This is an outdoor event and guests should bring their own seating. Dogs should be left at home. Soft drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. The park is located at 1450 Highway 88, 1/4 mile north of the Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital.