HAMILTON: Grounds for Sculpture hosts storytelling event

The 22nd Annual New Jersey Storytelling Festival will take place Sept. 21, from noon to 6 p.m. at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton.
The festival will mark New Jersey’s 350th birthday as 40 storytellers spin tales of the people, places, and perks of the Garden State.
Among the storytellers filling the afternoon is professional storyteller and Bordentown City resident Denise McCormack.
"The festival offers something for everyone," Ms. McCormack says in a press release. "Not only do the storytellers entertain and connect people in the moment, they often bring back personal memories for their audience members and help to create new ones. The event is certainly something that everyone should experience."
This year, Ms. McCormack will tell stories and songs "to a small guitar" with "fairies a field" to delight audiences of all ages.
Guests of the festival are invited to sign up for the Story Slam, featuring stories based on the theme "We’re In a New Jersey Frame of Mind." The Slam starts at noon, and contestants will be chosen at random to recount tales of five minutes or less. Guests will also want to stay for the event’s signature closing set, the lightning round, featuring 10 tellers who perform three-minute-or-less tales in rapid succession.
The festival is held rain or shine. Admission to the festival is included with admission to Grounds For Sculpture: $15, $12 seniors, $10 students. Museum and park hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Prior to the festival, workshops are offered from 10 a.m. to noon for educators and others interested in storytelling techniques. The pre-registration fee of $50 includes park admission, as well as 3 Professional Development. The first workshop is titled "Uncovering Your Inner Story: Find It, Write It, Tell It!" with Lynn Ruehlmann. The second is "Surprising Stories: Drawing Stories to Tell and Teach," with Robin Bady.
For more information on the festival, go to www.njstorynet.org. For more information on Grounds For Sculpture, go to www.groundsforsculpture.org.