Sandbar Storytelling Festival

Sandbar Storytelling Festival's Mission: To present storytelling performances which celebrate and preserve the power and pleasure of our varied cultural traditions and human experiences and to promote the art of storytelling for all ages.

SSF26 Dates: October 7 - 11, 2026

SSF26 Location: Various venues in Winona, Minn. include area coffeehouses/breweries/bars, schools, senior housing facilities, churches, the ARC: Home of the Historic Masonic Theater, and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Our lineup for SSF2026 will include five internationally recognized storytellers to be announced after the first of the year. 

How to Attend SSF26: Tickets and passes will be available in July 2026!

Visit our Website: www.sandbarstorytellingfestival.org

SSF25 Schedule of Events (here as an example of the kind of programming we do):

Tuesday, October 7: "Pizza & Bil" featuring Bil Lepp at Blue Heron Coffeehouse; 5:30pm (RSVP required)

Wednesday, October 8: "Tales & Ales" featuring Josh Goforth at Two Fathoms Brewing Company; 8pm (free event)

Thursday, October 9: storytellers in our local schools, universities, and senior living facilities (all day)

Thursday, October 9: "Tales & Ales" featuring Don White at No Name Bar; 9pm (free event)

Friday, October 10: storytellers in our local schools, universities, and senior living facilities (all day)

Friday, October 10: "Three Femme Fa-Tales" featuring Katie Knutson, Sufian Zehmukhov, and Elizabeth Ellis at the Historic Masonic Theater of Winona; 1pm 

Friday, October 10: TGIF: Tales for the End of the Week (an evening storytelling 'concert' featuring all six storytellers) 7pm

Saturday, October 11: "Tales & Tunes" featuring Rev. Robert Jones at the Winona Public Library, 10am

Saturday, October 11: Bil Lepp and Josh Goforth at Saint Mary's University Page Theater, 10am

Saturday, October 11: Elizabeth Ellis, Don White, Sufian Zhemukhov, and Rev. Robert Jones at SMU Page Theater, 1pm

Saturday, October 11: "Tales Tall and True?" (an evening storytelling 'concert' featuring all six storytellers) 7pm

Sunday, October 12: Bil Lepp at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Winona, 10am

Sunday, October 12: Don White at the First Congregational Church of Winona, 2pm