Storytellers Michael Reno Harrell and Lyn Ford will be performing at the Tale Tellin’ Festival this weekend.

Harrell is a long-time storyteller and entertainer as well as an award-winning songwriter from the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

According to Harrell’s biography “one could compare Michael’s performances to his granddaddy’s pocket knife, well-worn and familiar feeling, but razor sharp and with a point.”

Harrell’s storytelling and music appeal to a wide range of audiences, and he is said to have performed for school aged children in the afternoon and turning around and playing for a diverse audience the same night.

The Americana Music Association charts continue to find Harrell’s original songs at the top year after year.

Harrell’s biography states that he has “had the honor of being a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival and to be Teller in Residence at the International Storytelling Center, as well as performing at major music events like MerleFest and the Walnut Valley Festival.

Even with all of his performances, Harrell still finds time to conduct workshops for storytelling and songwriting.

Ford is a fourth-generation Affrilachian storyteller and a teaching artist with the The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and is known for her Home-Fried Tales.

She is a Thurber House mentor, published writer, and recording artist with award winning CD’s.

The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education reports that in 2012, Ford “was among the first 30 teaching artists from across the country to participate in professional-development  sessions on the arts and Common Core standards at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Lyn’s participation as an Ohio Teaching Artist in the Ohio State-Based Collaborative Initiative of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has provided additional opportunities for Lyn to share professional development workshops for educators and other mentors.”

Harrell and Ford will be performing in Selma this weekend along with Kim Weitkamp and the Dill Pickers.

The festival is sponsored by ArtsRevive and will run Oct. 10-11 and opens with the Swappin’ Ground at 4:30 each evening followed by Tale Tellin’ at 6:30.

Admission is $15 for adults or $25 for both nights. For ages 12 and under, tickets are $10 for one night and $15 for both nights.

Advance tickets are available at the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce, Selma-Dallas County Public Library and Allez-oup.

For more information, call Ann Thomas at (334) 878-2787 or visit www.artsrevive.com.