Ojai Storytelling Festival
●●● ALL SEATS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED ●●●
Please Note:
Schedule, performers and venues subject to change.
Purchases will be from Performances to Grow On on statements.
We love dogs but not at the festival. Thank you!
October 22-25, 2026
Senior = 65 and over ~ Child = Under 16
Drinks and snacks available for purchase at all shows.
Wine and beer available at all shows beginning after 2pm.
A red star denotes events specifically designed for young children and school groups.
Note: After August 1, all ticket packages increase $15 and individual shows increase $5 & $10
Need help choosing? Here are some FIRST-TIMER PICKS
🥇 Laughing Night — best introduction to the festival
👨👩👧 Friday & Saturday — best for families
🎟 Everything Pass — best value
🌙 Naughty Tales — adults-only favorite
🥂 Happy Trails — relaxed Sunday finale
Thursday
Schedule
Thursday, October 22
Meet the Tellers
with all the storytellers
3:30-5:00pm
Ojai Art Center Patio
113 S Montgomery St, Ojai
How did the tellers find their stories? Or did the stories find them?
Adults $30
Seniors $25
Child $20
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Thursday
Story Slam!
Finalists vie for the coveted top storyteller spot!
Judges: Lipbone Redding, Sufian Zhemukhov & Geraldine Buckley
Finalists: Drew Kirkland, Barbara Amador, Wendy Banks, Susan Kelejian, William Willcox, Kurt Mullen
6-7:45pm
Ojai Art Center Patio
113 S. Montgomery St, Ojai
Adults $30
Seniors $25
Child $20
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Thursday
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Stories on the Street
at Sam's Place
A FREE Community Concert!
Thursday, October 22, 8-10pm
308 E Ojai Ave, Ojai
Have a drink and a nosh and enjoy stories and music from some of our Storytellers!
Noa Baum, Lipbone Redding, Sufian Zhemukhov. You never know who else might show up!
FREE!
Thursday
Friday
Friday, October 23
Storyteller Lipbone Redding with his guitar
Storyteller Noa Baum with her hands clasped in front of her chest and smiling.
Storyteller Lipbone Redding with his guitar
Fall Stories for Primary Grades
Grades K-4th
Noa Baum, Mary Hamilton & Lipbone Redding
9:30 – 10:30am
Libbey Bowl
210 S Signal St, Ojai
(venue subject to change)
Adult $20
Child $15
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Friday
Storyteller Kevin Kling wearing a fedora.
Storyteller Geraldine Buckley
Storyteller Sufian Zhemekhov speaking into a microphone.
Storyteller Kevin Kling wearing a fedora.
Fall Stories for Upper Grades
Grades 4th and up
Kevin Kling, Sufian Zhemukhov & Geraldine Buckley
11:15am – 12:30pm
Libbey Bowl
210 S Signal St, Ojai
(venue subject to change)
Adult $20
Child $15
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Friday
WORKSHOP: Stories Old & New: A PATH TO HEALING AND RESILIENCE
Noa Baum
11:30am – 2pm
Ojai Art Center Gallery
113 S Montgomery St, Ojai
(venue subject to change)
Description
Humans have been telling stories since the beginning of time that ignite our connection to self and affirm our belonging to community. When we connect our personal stories with traditional stories we can access a deeper wisdom about life and strengthen our resilience.
In this dynamic workshop, we explore the intersection between storytelling and healing. Through a variety of interactive exercises, you’ll discover:
• How to tell a simple traditional tale and uncover personal meaning in timeless archetypes and structures.
• The universal element in your personal story.
• A non-threatening creative process of exploring a traditional story that leads to insight, resilience, and transformation.
Adult $55
Friday
TGIF! Chicken Soup for the Chicken
by Kevin Kling
Friday 2:15 - 3:15pm
Ojai Art Center Patio
113 S Montgomery St, Ojai
(venue subject to change)
Adult $30
Senior $25
Child $20
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Friday
Lipbone Redding & Noa Baum
Come tell your story and get optional feedback from the pros!
Friday 3:45 - 5:15 pm
Ojai Art Patio
113 S Montgomery St, Ojai
Free!
Friday
Friday
Kissing Frogs & Other Love Stories
by Geraldine Buckley
Friday 5:30 - 6:30pm
Ojai Art Center Patio
113 S Montgomery St, Ojai
(venue subject to change)
Adult $30
Senior $25
Child $20
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Laughing Night
Kevin Kling, Sufian Zhemukhov, Noa Baum, Lipbone Redding, and Geraldine Buckley
Friday 7:00-9:15pm
Ojai Art Center Patio
113 S. Montgomery St, Ojai
(venue subject to change)
Adults $35
Seniors $30
Children $20
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Friday
Spooky Stories
Sufian Zhemukhov & Mary Hamilton
9:30 – 10:30pm
Art Center Patio
113 South Montgomery
Adults $25
Child: $15
For Family Passes and groups of 10 or more call or email 805.272.0072 or info@ojaistoryfest.org
Friday
Lunchtime Tales
Hidden in My Pocket
By Noa Baum
At the crossroads of Jerusalem and Baba Yaga’s hut, a journey into timeless tangles of mothers, daughters, and hidden secrets. Noa interweaves her childhood memories with an ancient Russian folktale as she explores ancestral trauma and the healing power of story.
Saturday 12:00 – 1:00pm
Ojai Art Center Patio
113 S Montgomery St
(venue subject to change)
Adult: $30
Senior: $25
Child: $20
Saturday
Story Shop Mini Concert
Lipbone Redding
Join us at Libbey Fountain for a free concert!
Saturday 1:15 – 1:45pm
Libbey Fountain
205 E Ojai Ave
(Canceled if rain.)
Free!
Saturday
Sunday
WORKSHOP: Making it Personal
Kevin Kling
Sunday 9:00 - 10:30am
Help of Ojai
108 S Montgomery St, Ojai
(venue subject to change)
Description
When telling a personal story, how do we recall the details hidden in our past? In this workshop we will work with storyteller tools such as creating imagery, working with humor and crafting dialogue. We will also look at other elements that transform an experience into a story, especially "the invitation" where we begin to develop trust and enter a conversation with our audience. Kevin will lead participants through a writing exercise, then break down and analyze some of his own stories and then work with some of your own personal stories.
Adult: $25
Sunday
Sunday, October 25
Opening with Madrigali Singers
Sunday
Continental Breakfast Buffet, mimosas for purchase, and stories from Mary Hamilton, Kevin Kling, Lipbone Redding, Geraldine Buckley, and Sufian Zhemukhov. Plus an opening by Ojai's own, Madrigali
Sunday 10:30am – 1:00pm
Madrigali Singers 10:30-11am
Farewell Stories 11am-1pm
Ojai Art Center Patio
113 S Montgomery St, Ojai
Adult: $40
Senior: $35
Child: $20
The Ojai Storytelling Festival is presented by Performances to Grow On, a non-profit organization. Support our programs with a tax-deductible donation. In these tough times, donations in any amount make a difference. Don’t have a lot to give? No problem. All it takes is $1 to make a difference in a child's life. Have a little more to give? You can also make contributions on behalf of friends and family…
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here!
SUPPORTING ONE OF OJAI'S
MOST BELOVED ANNUAL EVENTS
