The Stone Soup Storytelling Festival returns to Woodruff, South Carolina on April 24 and 25, bringing the official storytelling festival of the state back to its downtown home at MUSE 134 for another weekend of live performance, tradition, and community gathering.
The 2026 festival features an acclaimed lineup of storytellers including Adam Booth, Donna Washington, Papa Joe Gaudet, Misty Mator, and Liz Pardue. These performers bring a range of traditions to the stage, from folk tales and personal narratives to mythology, historical stories, and tall tales — making the festival accessible to audiences of all ages and interests.
Stone Soup Storytelling Institute, which organizes the festival each year, has made MUSE 134 at 134 S. Main Street in Woodruff the heart of the event. The intimate venue creates an atmosphere well-suited to the art form — storytelling is at its best in close quarters, where the connection between teller and listener is direct and immediate.
South Carolina’s Official Storytelling Festival
The Stone Soup Storytelling Festival has served as the official storytelling festival of South Carolina since 1988, making it one of the longest-running cultural events in the Upstate. It is supported in part by SC Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which has provided grant funding for the festival’s programming over the years.
The festival typically includes a mix of free and ticketed events across its weekend run, with programming that spans morning workshops, afternoon performances, and evening shows that run deeper into the night. The format has traditionally included both established featured tellers and a “New Voices” component that gives emerging storytellers a platform alongside veterans of the craft.
Woodruff, a small city in the southern part of Spartanburg County, becomes a destination for storytellers and listeners from across the region each spring as the festival brings visitors to its downtown. For those looking to experience a distinctly South Carolina cultural tradition in an intimate setting, the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival offers something increasingly rare: an art form rooted in the human voice, delivered live.
More information and ticket details are available at stonesoupsc.org.
What’s Happening
Q: When and where is the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival?
A: The 2026 Stone Soup Storytelling Festival runs April 24 and 25 at MUSE 134, located at 134 S. Main Street in Woodruff, South Carolina.
Q: Who is performing at the 2026 festival?
A: Featured storytellers include Adam Booth, Donna Washington, Papa Joe Gaudet, Misty Mator, and Liz Pardue.
Q: What is the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival?
A: It is the official storytelling festival of South Carolina, organized by the Stone Soup Storytelling Institute, and has been held annually in Woodruff since 1988.
Q: Where can I get more information and tickets?
A: Visit stonesoupsc.org for full schedule, ticket information, and event details.
