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The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival is storytelling and much more.

The annual storytelling festival kicks off on Friday, January 24, with supper and stories at the We Piddle Around Theater and continues on Saturday, January 25, with three storytelling concerts at the Trojan Center Theater on the campus of Troy University.

The 2020 Pike Piddles Storytelling Festival will feature nationally acclaimed storytellers, Donald Davis, Barbara McBride-Smith, Josh Goforth and Bil Lepp.

“These storytellers are return performers at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee and we are honored to have them as repeat performers at the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival,” said Mernette Bray, a member of the storytelling committee.

However, Bray said the pre-show entertainment at the annual storytelling festival is worth the price of admission.

“This year, we have another outstanding pre-show lineup,” Bray said. “The Lighthouse String Ensemble here in Pike County will open the storytelling festival at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, January 25 at the Trojan Center.  Amanda Smothers and her dad, Mike Benton are the feature singers.  They have performed at the Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival in Indiana, the longest and longest running bluegrass festival in the country.”

The Benton Brothers & Company will take center stage a 1:30 p.m. Saturday prior to the 2 p.m. storytelling concert.

“The Benton Brothers are extremely popular in this area,” Bray said. “They are the house band at the We Piddle Around Theater and will also open the 2020 Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival on Friday night in Brundidge.”

The Shiloh Mountain Boys from Prattville will be the featured band at the closing storytelling concert Saturday night and will take the stage at 6 p.m.

“The Shiloh Mountain Boys have performed at our Peanut Butter Festival for two years and people have requested that they come to the storytelling festival,” Bray said. “We look forward to having them.”

The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival is flavored with folk art and cornbread.

“It all adds to the fun of the storytelling festival, Bray said. The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival will be Saturday, January 25 at the Troy Center Theater at Troy University. Storytelling concerts will be at 10 a.m. ($10), 2 p.m. ($15) and 6:30 p.m. ($10). All-day tickets are $30.

Tickets are available at The Messenger or by calling 685-5524 or 670-6302 for tickets

Friday night concert at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge is sold.

The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival is paid for in part with a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.