National Storytelling Festival
Fall festival · Jonesborough · Tennessee
Tennessee's oldest town fills striped tents along Main Street every first weekend of October for the country's premier storytelling event, drawing tellers and audiences from around the world to Jonesborough's historic district since 1973.
Don’t miss
Plan your visit
Dates from the official announcement, checked August 20, 2026. Always confirm before you go.
Color nearby peaks: October 21–October 25
Color builds from October 15 · mostly bare by November 15
Sampled at National Storytelling Festival’s own coordinates and elevation (551 m) rather than a regional average.
This window comes from 19 weather points across Tennessee, nudged 1 day earlier to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against Tennessee's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 7 days earlier. How the forecast works
When to go to National Storytelling Festival
The color window runs about 17 days, holding until around November 1. That is about 10 days earlier than Tennessee as a whole. It sits at 1,808 ft, high enough to turn before the valleys do.
You will find it at Jonesborough, TN, in Tennessee.
National Storytelling Festival on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Tennessee, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
More things to do in Tennessee
Leaves & views
Frequently asked
- When is National Storytelling Festival open in 2026?
- The 2026 season runs Oct 2 – Oct 4. Dates can shift, so check the official site before you go.
- When does National Storytelling Festival peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 21–October 25 (best estimate October 23). Color starts around October 15 and is mostly bare by November 15.
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