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Nineteen performers from across the country will bring personal experiences, folk tales, adventure and magic to Fairfax during the sixth annual Women’s Storytelling Festival, scheduled for March 20-23, 2025.
The event begins with a virtual showcase at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 20. In-person performances will follow March 21-23 at the Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd. in Fairfax City. The entire festival will also be livestreamed.
The spoken-word performances are intended for mature audiences. All ticket holders, whether attending online or in person, will have access to festival recordings for one month after the event ends.
Better Said Than Done, a nonprofit founded in 2011 by Fairfax resident and festival producer Jessica Robinson, is hosting the event. Robinson created the organization to bring more storytelling performances to Northern Virginia.
“The stories go deep, the performances are amazing and the audience is rapt,” Robinson said. She described the festival as a place where accomplished storytellers can share work they might not present on other stages.
The lineup includes authors, poets, podcasters and teaching artists, along with contributors to storytelling programs and events such as the National Storytelling Festival. Performers range from relative newcomers to storytellers with more than 20 years of experience. They are traveling from states including Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Virginia.
Jennifer Hillery of Massachusetts said devoting an entire weekend to women’s voices demonstrates that their stories and perspectives are valued.
The in-person lineup features Laura Deal, Swapna Deshpande, Linda Gorham, Jennifer Hillery, Tobey Ishii Anderson, Andrea Kamens, Amanda Lawrence, Carol Moore, Miriam Nadel, Ingrid Nixon, Laura Packer, Jessica Robinson, Aimee Snow and Sarah Snyder.
Karin Amano, Sarah Brady, Sarah Beth Nelson, Shani Womack and Janel Woodland will perform exclusively online, but their stories will be available to every ticket holder.
Several Northern Virginia residents are among the featured performers, including Nadel of Vienna, Moore and Snyder of Herndon, Snow of Manassas and Robinson of Fairfax.
Nadel said live storytelling creates an unusually interactive experience, with audience members often responding through gestures of recognition and agreement. Although women arrive with different cultural backgrounds and life experiences, she said their stories can connect people across generations.
Moore, who is returning to the festival, compared the weekend to an escape into another world. She said its combination of camaraderie and new experiences can produce “laughter and joy, discovery and wonder, empathy and healing.”
Snyder described the gathering as having the welcoming atmosphere of someone’s living room. She said that sense of safety allows participants to become vulnerable, share deeply personal experiences and trust listeners to respect what they hear.
Snow said bringing together women of different ages and backgrounds creates a remarkable experience. Lawrence added that women’s stories are especially important now.
Packer said women’s voices and lived experiences are frequently dismissed, while the festival gives performers room to share personal stories and interpretations of traditional material without having to apologize or fight to be heard.
People of all gender identities are welcome to attend. Robinson said the livestream and monthlong access to recordings are intended to include those who cannot travel to Fairfax.
Virtual admission for the full festival costs $45, while full in-person admission is $70. Single-day in-person passes will be sold at the door for $35.