The Paris Storytelling Festival, an annual showcase of storytelling in charming and historic Paris, Kentucky, will be held Friday, May 8 through Sunday, May 10, 2026.
This year’s festival features 6 nationally acclaimed artists of storytelling, captivating and delighting audiences with tales of humor, wit, and wonder, joy and woe. Donald Davis, Antonio Rocha, Paul Strickland, Josh Goforth, Mary Hamilton, and Sheila Arnold all perform throughout the weekend.
Events include: Laughing Night at Hotel Thoroughbred (Friday, 7–9pm, $15); Breakfast at Trackside at the Depot (Saturday, 8–9:45am), featuring a buffet breakfast ($22.50; advance reservations required, call Trackside Restaurant at 859-340-3010); Horse Tails at Secretariat Park (Saturday, 10:30–11:15am, free); and Jam Session with Grammy-nominated Josh Goforth at the Paris–Bourbon County Library (Saturday, 11:30am–12:15pm, free). On Saturday afternoon and evening, the Storytelling Showcase (1:30–4:30pm, free) and Evening of Dinner & Storytelling ($35/person)—both at the Wallis Arboretum—feature the lineup of storytellers.
In addition, the tellers visit local schools on Friday—including Bourbon County Schools, Paris Independent Schools, St. Mary School, and Nicholas County Schools—and perform at local churches on Sunday morning, with storytellers distributed across six congregations throughout both counties.
The Friday Laughing Night and Saturday’s Evening Dinner are ticketed events requiring advance purchase at ParisStoryFest.com/schedule. Advance reservations for the Saturday Breakfast buffet are required by calling Trackside Restaurant at (859) 340-3010. All other events are free and open to the public. See parisstoryfest.com for further information on the featured storytellers and schedule of events.
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Paris Story Fest 