Tickets sales for the 2010 Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival were brisk Wednesday morning with only a handful remaining for opening night at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge on Jan. 29.

“We were very pleased with the first-day sales,” said Rue Botts, ticket chair. “We’ll begin to do blanket advertising next week for the Festival on Jan. 29 and 30. Tickets will remain on sale throughout the month or until all the tickets are sold.”

Botts said ticket sales on Wednesday were from as far north as Huntsville and as far south as Panama City.

“We sold a lot of tickets locally and we sold quite a few all day tickets for the three storytelling concerts on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Trojan Center Theater at Troy University,” she said. “This year’s festival will be equally as good as last year’s with Donald Davis, Kevin Kling, Barbara McBride-Smith and Elizabeth Ellis. People seem to be very excited about the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival.”

Some of those who purchased tickets Wednesday have attended previous storytelling events sponsored by the Brundidge Historical Society. Others will be first-timers.

“Oh, we’ve been before and love it,” said Janis Friend of Ozark who purchased tickets for 17 Red Hatters. “We come to the folklife play and love it and just want to come to everything. It’s all so much fun.”

Isobel Tierney said she is fascinated by the storytellers and hangs on their every word.

“You just don’t know how entertaining storytelling can be until you come to one of these festivals,” she said.

Merle Charles and Ellen Pierce will be among the first time listeners this year. They, laughingly, said they drove all the way from Arguata, “No it’s not a disease,” to get tickets. “We are coming on the recommendation of a friend who says that we’ll have the best time we’ve ever had,” Charles said. “And, too, we’ve heard from a lot of people about how good it is.”

The ladies, like so many others, grew up listening to stories told by their parents and grandparents and are proud that there seems to be a renewed interest in the art of storytelling.

The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival will open Jan. 29 at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge with supper and stories. Tickets are $25 each.

On Saturday, there will be three storytelling concerts at 10 a.m. and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the morning and afternoon concerts are $10 each and $15 for the night concert. All day tickets are $30.

For tickets, visit Rue’s Antiques in downtown Brundidge between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday or call 334-735-3125 during shop hours. Other times, call 334-735-3675 and leave a callback number.