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In 1973,  small group of people gathered around an old farm wagon in the Courthouse Square in Historic Jonesbrough,  Tennessee to hear a few Appalachian tales.

That was the beginning of a storytelling revival all across the country.

Around 2004 several member of the Brundidge Historical attended the National Storytelling Festival and stood in the wind, rain and icy cold outside a 1,200 capacity “circus’ tent to hear Nationally Acclaimed Storyteller Donald Davis.

Following the advice to “see Appalachian Sheila Kay Adams,” the Pike County historians braved wind and chilling rain to hear the banjo picking and singing of age-old American ballads.

The Brundidge “historians” came home to Brundidge with a strong commitment to host a storytelling event at the We Piddle Around Theater in  downtown Brundidge.  In  2007, the Brundidge Historical Society welcomed Donald Davis, Sheila Kay Adams and Andy Offutt Irwin to the stage of the We Piddle Around Theater and to the Trojan Theater on the campus to Troy University. Every seat was filled and the storytelling festival was a success.

Since that opening festival, every year, with the exception of the pandemic, people have come for near and far to hear the storytellers bring stories to life and stories to be taken home to tell again and again.

The last full weekend in January, the Brundidge Historical Society will host the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival at the We Piddle Around Theater and Trojan Theater. The tellers will be, as always, the Dean of Storytelling Donald Davis, Kevin Kling, the amazing storyteller from Minnesota, will be back for the fourth time and Kim Weitkamp, who can pick and sing stories that will  bring laughter and a few salty tears to the eyes of an appreciative audience.

A fourth favorite teller will be announced on New Years weekend.

Tickets for the 2025 Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival January 24-25 may be purchased by calling 334-685-5524 or at the Messenger in downtown Troy.