Celebrating one of our great treasures

Hey, all you tellers of tall tales. Take a bow. You and your tale-telling friends and neighbors have put the Golden Plains of America on the map.

How so? By hosting the award-winning Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival, and, by so doing, having the host town, McCook, become known as the "Storytelling Capital of Nebraska."

It doesn't seem possible, but this Friday and Saturday, May 30 and 31, the hard-working and fun-loving storytelling committee will be hosting the seventh, that's right, seventh, festival.

The storytelling festivities started back in 1997, not long after the Princeton sociology professors, Frank and Deborah Popper, antagonized this area by labeling it, "Buffalo Commons."

At first, the title was thought of as demeaning, but a member of the McCook Arts Council, Floyd Hershberger, suggested to the festival's founders that they capitalize on all the publicity by putting "Buffalo Commons" in the title.

It worked. From the start, the "Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival" has been a hit, earning recognition the first year as the best big budget tourism event in Nebraska, and over the years gathering financial support from the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Humanities Council, the Red Willow County Visitors Bureau, the McCook Arts Council and countless volunteers and generous supporters.

The 2003 festival is shaping up as another in a long line of hits. Out of curiosity alone, you've got to come hear a group called "The Toasted Ponies." The group with the unusual name will be playing Friday night at the Fox Theater for the opening show, called "How the West Had Fun. Featuring a blend of bluegrass and acoustic music, the Ponies recently released a new CD called "Why the Long Face?" The quartet features banjo, mandolin and guitar music.

Joining them on stage will be Barbara McBride-Smith, a Tulsa librarian who is making an encore performance; and Deb Carpenter, a singer, songwriter and cowboy poet, who appeared at the first festival in 1997. The headliners will appear again Saturday night at a Grand Reception at the High Plains Museum. An accomplished author, editor and ranch wife, Linda M. Hasselstrom, will join them for that show.

Add to that the Saturday daytime events -- including political stories with Frank Morrison and a series of song and story workshops -- and you have all the ingredients necessary for another outstanding festival.

"Next to God and family, stories are our greatest treasure," says the festival's co-director, Cloyd Clark. This coming Friday and Saturday, that third greatest treasure will be celebrated at the seventh annual Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival in McCook, Nebraska, USA.