August 30, 2025 @ McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School
Real? Imagined? Who knows? Creepy tales unfold from stories passed down, legends and myths, and things that go screech in the night with the Jonesborough Storytellers GuildAug. 30 for two specialconcerts at the McKinney Center.
The Jonesborough Guild is the oldest continuing group of storytellers in the nation. Graveyard Tales includes spooky stories of local legends, creepy creaturesand bone-chilling lore. The 5 p.m. show is an all-ages event, while the 7 p.m. show is intended for childrenover the age of 12.
Featured storytellers include:
Travis Wolven
Wolven was raised in a house filled with unexplained phenomena from small creaks and door cracks to full-on apparitions noted by family and neighbors alike. Having taken ghost hunting classes in Massachusetts and enjoying the experience of living and storytelling in a multidimensional world of spirits, he especially enjoys dusting off myths and legends of old. Travis is a recent graduate from the ETSU communication and storytelling master’s program, as well as a new performing member with the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild.
Vianna Isbister
Isbister is a dynamic multi-hyphenate performer and academic with a B.A. in theater and an M.A. in communication and storytelling studies. Her work bridges the gap between the spoken and the unspoken, blending performance art with academic insights to craft narratives. Her work has recently been featured at the 2025 National Storytelling Network Conference and as an author of a book chapter in "Memorial Art in Rhetorical Discourse" in 2026. She has performed with Night Owl Circus Arts, ETSU, Jonesborough Storytellers Guild, andonline with Artists Standing Strong Together, to name a few.
Judy "Butterfly" Farlow
As a Performing Member of Jonesborough Storytellers Guild for more than 20 years, and with storytelling training from both ETSU and Callenwald in Atlanta,Farlow has told stories from backyard BBQ's to the White House. She grew up in a family rich with story traditions and has a repertoire of characters, including Mrs. Santa, Spooky Witch, Fairy Godmother, as well as beloved Butterfly the Clown. Her stories of ghoulies and ghosties, long-legged beasties, and things that go bump in the night will have you still shivering long after the show.
Emily Katt
Katt has had a range of career hats she’s worn, all of them involving communication: educator, former magazine editor, academic researcher, veterinary professionaland a writer of fiction, nonfictionand poetry. In 2022, she completed the M.A. degree in communication and storytelling studies at ETSU and now works as program assistant at the International Storytelling Center, as a storytelling instructor at ETSU, and as a performing member with the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild. You can find out more about her or contact her atemilyskatt.com.
Info and Tickets
Graveyard Tales takes place Aug. 30 with two special concerts at 5 and 7 p.m. at the McKinney Center, located at 103 Franklin Ave in Jonesborough. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniorsand $5 for children. Tickets can be purchased by calling423-753-1010or visitingjonesboroughtn.org.
For additional information about the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild, visitstorytellersguild.org.
Category: Storytelling