Beaver Tales — Beaver’s Unique Storytelling Event
Friday, September 18, 2026
7:00 p.m.
The Gazebo (Irvine Park)
The Beaver Area Heritage Foundation, The Miller Family Foundation, and the Beaver Women’s Club are proud to present the return of the widely acclaimed annual Beaver Tales Storytelling Festival. This year’s diverse lineup of storytellers will once again connect our community to the wider world through stories that celebrate culture, humor, and shared humanity.
At 12:30 p.m., join us for a Lunch, Listen, and Laugh event at the Beaver Area Memorial Library. Reservations are required—please call the library at (724) 775-1132 to learn more.
Throughout the festival, our storytellers will also be visiting local elementary schools and the Beaver Library, delighting students with performances that spark imagination and bring stories to life.
The festival culminates in a special evening performance at the gazebo in Irvine Park (with College Square School as the inclement-weather location). Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy a free, family-friendly event featuring these nationally and internationally acclaimed storytellers.
This Year’s Storytellers
ADAM BOOTH – Performing at New Brighton Elementary
Adam Booth is the 2022 West Virginia Governor’s Arts Awards Folk Artist of the Year. His original stories blend traditional mountain folklore, music, and contemporary Appalachian life, creating performances that are both deeply rooted and widely relatable.
A nationally touring storyteller, Adam has been featured four times at the National Storytelling Festival and has performed at venues including the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and the International Storytelling Center. In 2025, he was a featured keynote presenter at the Sydney Australia International Storytelling Conference. Education remains a central part of his work, and he regularly teaches and presents on Appalachian culture, folklore, and storytelling.
Learn more: adam-booth.com
SARAH BRADY – Performing at Rochester Elementary
Sarah Brady is an accomplished actress, storyteller, teaching artist, and writer whose backgrounds in theatre and education shape her dynamic approach to storytelling. She has taught communication and theatre at several universities and transitioned into solo performance work, with her journey taking her across the United States and the United Kingdom, where she cultivated a love for British folklore and history.
Her storytelling spans historical, traditional, literary, and personal genres. She has appeared at festivals such as the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Lehi, Utah, and collaborated with organizations including Arts for Learning Virginia, Story Tapestries, Cambridge Storytellers, the Suffolk Archives, the White Rose Project at Oxford University, Young Audiences New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, Armed Services Arts Partnership, and the International Storytelling Center.
Driven by a deep belief in the power of story to foster empathy and connection, Sarah specializes in uncovering and communicating the emotional heart of each tale she shares.
Learn more: sarahosburnbrady.com
LAURA PACKER – Performing at the Beaver Area Library Laugh Listen and Learn event
Laura Packer is an award-winning storyteller, author, speaker, and coach who has spent more than 30 years helping people connect through story. She believes storytelling fosters empathy, builds bridges, and inspires change. In 2020, she was inducted into the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence, recognizing her mastery and dedication to the art of storytelling.
Laura has performed for audiences of all ages in venues ranging from festivals, theaters, and libraries to corporate and government settings. She is the author of From Audience to Zeal: The ABCs of Finding, Crafting, and Telling a Great Story and works with individuals and organizations to help them communicate more effectively through storytelling.
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Learn more: laurapacker.com
ELIZABETH ROSE – Performing at College Square
Elizabeth Rose’s stories include a blend of traditional Southern folklore, Appalachian tales, mountain ballads, ghost stories, songs, and her own personal stories of growing up in a small town in East Tennessee. She has the ability to mesmerize listeners, transporting them through her image-laden tales of other times and cultures.
An educator as well as a storyteller, Elizabeth has brought the art of storytelling into classrooms and community programs, helping audiences connect more deeply with history, culture, and one another. Her warm and engaging style resonates with listeners of all ages.
Learn more: elizabethrose.biz