Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The last weekend in January is storytelling time in Pike County, Alabama.

For 19 years now, the Brundidge Historical Society has hosted the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge and the Trojan Center Theater on the campus of Troy University.

For just that many years, people near and far, have made their way to Pike County to sit back and bask in the warmth and joy of storytelling. So, it was this weekend. Even though snow blanketed much of the area earlier in the week, the venues were filled with those who bask in stories that bring happiness to the heart or a tear to the eye.

“With snow and icy roads and continuing cold, we weren’t sure if people would get out and come,” said Johnny Garrett, BHS president. “Oh, we had some empty seats but not enough to really notice or take away the enjoyment of storytelling.”

The featured tellers for the 2025 Pike Piddlers Storytellers Festival were Kim Weitkamp from Appalachia, who is also a picker and singer; Kevin Kling, who is, for sure, a Minnesota State Treasure and Donald Davis, who is the Dean of Storytelling.

However, Donald Davis lives on Ocracoke Island and the main modes of transportation to and from the island are private boats and the ferry. However, the ferry was frozen in place, So, Davis and his wife, Trish, were iced-in and with no hope of making it to the Pike Peddlers Storytelling Festival.

The Brundidge Historical Society began piddlin’ around looking for a storyteller, who was willing to drop everything and make the long commute to Pike County, Alabama. The top choice was Andy Offutt Irwin, who was a featured teller at the first Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival,  along with Donald Davis and hometown celebrity Sheila Jackson, who turned story into song.

Irwin was also the one who said on stage, that the We Piddle Around Theater is what the Cracker Barrel tries to be — “it’s real.”

In true Andy Offutt Irwin, agreed to drop everything and make it from “way across Georgia” to participate in the 2025 Pike Peddlers Storytelling Festival.

“That’s  how dedicated storytellers are to their art and to each other,”  Garrett said.“We can’t thank Andy Irwin enough for being with us. Kevin, Kim and Andy quickly pulled together to make this year’s festival a favorite. In doing so, each of them was the audience favorite.

“And each band that played to open storytelling concert was also an audience favorite,” said Mernette Bray, BHS. “We have a special thank you for The Sheppard Family, the Benton Brothers & Company and Glory Avenue for sharing their talents with us at the Pike Peddlers Storytelling Festival.”

Garrett expressed appreciation to all who made the 2025 Pike Piddlers Storytelling a great success, the storytellers, the band, the audiences and those in Event Management who kept it all going.