Storytelling, Wrestling And Music: Lorefest Returns To Celebrate Folk Tales
The student-driven, four-day event also includes a ghost walk in Downtown Bryan, a folklore symposium and a performance.
The annual student-driven Lorefest returns for its third year Wednesday and continuing through Saturday. Students’ research on folk tales and other local culture will be showcased during the four-night event through music, drama, visuals and video games.
Among the highlights of the week are events centered around wrestling, folk songs and storytelling, along with a ghost walk, a folklore symposium and a dance performance all created by students and faculty. Lorefest was created by Performance and Visual Studies instructors Matthew Campbell, Ph.D., instructional associate professor, and Will Connor, Ph.D., senior lecturer.
“Bryan and College Station are rich with culture stemming from a large variety of communities,” Connor said. “Lorefest is a celebration of that rich culture with an emphasis on folkloric research and creative output. By bridging students from Texas A&M and local businesses, Lorefest offers a means for students and the surrounding communities to find out more about where they live through public scholarship and seasonal activities.”
For more information, visit the Lorefest website.
Schedule of Events
Day One: Folklore Wrestling
Wednesday from 7-9 p.m.: Students will team up with Lions Pride Sports to bring folk tale characters to life in a folklore wrestling match at the LAAH Courtyard.
Day Two: Songs and Tales
Thursday from 7-11 p.m.: Students will explore folk songs and storytelling with the local music artists Ultraviolet at the Ice House on Main, 800 N. Main Street in Downtown Bryan.
Day Three: Downtown Bryan Ghost Walk
Friday from 7-9 p.m.: A ghost walk led by Kathy Torabi, Ph.D., and Texas A&M students from various courses, reenacting tales with visuals and sound through the haunted streets of historic Downtown Bryan. The ghost walk will begin at the Carnegie Library, 111 S. Main Street in Downtown Bryan.
Day Four: Symposium and Final Performance
Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Guests are invited to attend a symposium featuring students, faculty and community members in LAAH 453. The panelists will discuss folklore and other spooky things about the area and beyond. The keynote speaker is Texas podcast host Shelly Pruitt, who is a renowned ghost hunter and researcher from the show “Everything Vaguely Paranormal.”
Lorefest will conclude with a performance at 7 p.m. in the LAAH Black Box Theater. Faculty members will present a celebration of folklore via dance, visuals and sound. Entry is free, but registration will be required.
