The Storytelling Festival of Carolina takes place this weekend, opening today and continuing through Sunday.

Patrons can experience storytelling on today on the festival grounds beginning at 9 a.m. and at noon, or at the Storytelling Arts Center downtown at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, the festival will be back on the grounds of the John Blue House. Saturday night will be the time for the Meet the Teller Gala at the Cypress Bend Vineyard.

"What makes this event so special are the storytellers," organizer Jan Schmidt said. "These national tellers are some of the most sought after storytellers in the nation."

Those appearing at the festival are classified into three separate groups: the national, which includes Bill Harley, Bil Lepp and others; the regional storytellers from the South; and the youth.

Below is a brief biography of each storyteller scheduled to appear at the festival.

Bill Harley

Winner of two Grammys and considered one of the finest performers for families in the country, Harley has performed his original works throughout the U.S. and has authored several children's books. He is a regular contributor to public radio programs. A storytelling Circle of Excellence Award recipient, his recordings for children, families and adults have garnered numerous national awards.

Bil Lepp

Lepp, a nationally renowned storyteller who appeared at the 2007 Storytelling Festival of Carolina and a five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars' Contest, is back for this year's event. Though a champion liar, his stories often contain morsels of truth which shed light on subjects such as politics, religion, death, relationships, and human nature. Lepp's most recent CD, "The Teacher in the Patriotic Bathing Suit," received the Parent's Choice Approved Award.

Antonio Rocha

A native of Brazil and student of Master Marcel Marceau, Rocha came to the USA in 1998 to perform and deepen his mime skills. Rocha's solo shows of stories and mime have been performed in 10 countries and on five continents. Rocha's world of mime, sound effects, zany characters and physical comedy takes the listener iinto the jungles of Brazil and Africa as he turns himself into a monkey, a spider or other enchanted creatures.

Lyn Ford

A fourth-generation storyteller whose tales are rooted in her family's multi-cultural African American storytelling traditions, Ford calls her stories "Home Fried Tales" to honor her father, who could make great home-fried potatoes. According to Ford, she learned to "stir up, season and simmer" her folktale adaptations and original stories while sitting knee-to-knee with elders who passed on their special gifts from the oral tradition.

Hannah Harvey

Harvey grew up in the mountains of northeast Tennessee, just minutes away from the Jonesborough National Storytelling Festival. Her grandfather inspired a lifelong passion in storytelling and her graduate work in performance ethnography brought her back to these family and regional tales. Hannah earned a PhD in Performance Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, and is the artistic director of the Kenessaw State University Tellers Storytelling Company.

Willa Brigham

Emmy and Grammy Award Winner Brigham is the host of the television show Smart Start Kids. Her goal is to empower children and adults via the spoken word to believe in themselves. Bringham is an avid writer of short stories, essays, poetry and songs for children. In addition to her Emmy, coast-to-coast speaking engagements, and CDs, Brigham is a teacher of creative arts in public schools, a touring artist, and a quilter.

Rixon Lane

Lane is the junior class president of Woodruff High School in South Carolina, where he plays football and baseball. He has been involved in storytelling for over a decade and has performed at many festivals and schools. Lane is a three-time Torchbearer from the National Youth Storytelling Showcase and performed as a Youthful Voice at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. He is the only storyteller who has performed at all three Storytelling Festivals of Carolina.

Noah Lepp

At eight years old, Lepp has been telling stories for four years. He won the 17 and under division of the West Virginia Liars' contest in 2007 and 2008 with his original stories. In May 2008, he was a featured student teller at the Tale Spin Festival in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Cassidy Long

Nine years old and a third grader at Ashley Elementary School in Fayetteville, Long is the eldest of three children; she has a twin sister, Harper and a younger brother, Caleb. Cassidy says she loves to learn, is curious, and reads a lot.