Upcoming Events
2025
Celtic Stories and Song
This year our annual Celtic event will be held on Saturday, March 15. It will feature stories told by the Bluff Country Tale Spinners and Irish songs by the Dublin Daughters. Join us at the Pump House!
The La Crosse Storytelling Festival
The 22nd annual festival will be held on July 18, 19. Our featured tellers will be Bil Lepp and Charlotte Blake Alston. Come back for more information.
2024
Tales of the Creepy and Scary
The Bluff Country Tale Spinners will start your Halloween week with a FRIGHT with their stories and even a song. In addition to some very creepy stories, this year there will also be actual newspaper articles of spooky happenings in La Crosse’s past. The event will be held Friday, October 25 at the Pump House.
The 21st Annual La Crosse Storytelling Festival
We’ve come of age! This year the fest is July 19, 20 at the Pump House. Our featured tellers are Kevin Kling and Lyn Ford. The children’s program is, as always free, and Kevin will conduct a workshop. Food, raffles, Luna Open Mic, singer Eddie Allen, and lots and lots of stories.
Tales in the Castle
Tales in the Tent will be held at the Castle La Crosse on Cass Street on April 18. Join us for stories, appetizers and desserts, wine and other beverages. This is the La Crosse Storytelling Festival’s annual fundraiser…..and it is FUN!
2023
Celtic Stories and Songs
Put a bit more Irish in your St. Patrick celebrations with stories and songs right on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2023. The Bluff Country Tale Spinners will be joined by musical group Dublin’s Daughters. This has become an annual tradition at the Pump House. So put on a bit of green and join us. Tickets available at the Pump House web site: http://www.thepumphouse.org
Tales in the Tent
While not in a tent, our annual fund raiser will be held on April 27 at the Heritage Center on Main Street in La Crosse. Join us for stories, music by Regina Chihak, wine, coffee, and appetizers. Donations requested.
Pints for a Purpose
Pearl Street Brewery has chosen the La Crosse Storytelling Festival as one of their Pints for a Purpose recipients on Tuesday, May 2 at the Brewery. For every pint sold that night, the LSF will receive a dollar. Please join us for a pint!
Kids Day in the Park
Each May members of the Bluff Country Tale Spinners provide stories for kids preschool and up at Myrick Park. This year (2020) our dates are: May 11,12,18,19. Schools are encouraged to book their time early in order to get the time and date they need. Children who are not yet in school or are home schooled are welcome to attend also. For more information or to book a time, contact Mary at lawrencems1967@gmail.com or call her at 608-797-4688.
Once Upon a Time…..at the Library
The Bluff Country Tale Spinners are scheduled to share stories at eight local libraries!! The storytellers will tell fairy tales and folk tales. After the storytelling program the children will make a puppet that represents a character from one of the stories. The Story Fest is providing all the materials for the puppets. We are very excited about this partnership with area libraries.
Location, date and time for the Once Upon a Time programs are:
La Crosse Storytelling Festival
The fest takes place July 21, 22, 2023 and is at the Pump House Regional Arts Center in the heart of the Arts District in La Crosse. Each year we strive to bring great storytelling and music to the tri-state area. The featured performers this year are Stuart Stotts and Beth Horner plus local favorite, Michael Scott. The children’s program is FREE again this year and features Stuart Stotts, Cindy and Sue, and the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Company.
Scary Stories on a Spooky Night
On Friday night at the Fest, July 21 Spooky stories will be shared by the Bluff Country Tale Spinners and our two featured tellers. Stories start at 6:30 and are for mature preteens, teens, and adults. Tickets at the Pump House.
The Bluff Country Tale Spinners
Host of the La Crosse Storytelling Festival, the Bluff Country Tale Spinners, is a local guild whose mission is to encourage the art of storytelling. BCTS meet the second Thursday of each month at the Moose Lodge in La Crosse at 6:300. There is a short business meeting followed by stories. All level of tellers are welcome as are story listeners. If desired, tellers are given feedback on their story in a warm and welcoming environment. For more information contact Teri at wachutateri@yahoo.com or just join us and see for yourself. Many of our member are listeners, not tellers; you can’t tell stories without listeners!