• Home
    • Board
    • Memories
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Fringe Shows
    • Inspire!
    • Swaps
    • Resource Links
  • Teller for Hire
    • Tellers by Name
    • Illinois
    • Iowa
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Wisconsin
    • Other States
  • Contact
Northlands Storytelling Network Creation and Conferences with other Storytelling Community events as determined by Patricia Coffie
Timeline for Festivals, Conferences and EventsMadison, WI beginnings
1978
  • Five friends (Mark Wagler, Reid Miller, Susan Cook, Joan Laurion, Glen Mitroff) travel in a van to National Storytelling Festival and bring their inspiration back to the north lands. First events were held under “Madison Storytellers’ Guild.”
  • National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling began in 1973 and continued with name changes. NAPPS 1975-1993
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg since 1973
  • Mineral Point, WI (6)
1979
  • First Northlands Storytelling Festival is held in Mineral Point, WI
  • First Articles of Incorporation and By-laws with Mark Wagler, Elaine Wynne, and Reid Miller as directors
  • The National Story League, formed in 1903, continued
  • Jonesborough, TN Annual National Storytelling Festival continues from 1973
  • Waverly, IA holds 6th Cedar River Storytelling Festival
1980
  • The Northlands Storytelling Festival, Second Annual Gathering
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1981
  • Northlands Storyfest ’81
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1982
  • Plenty of Magic: 4th Annual Northlands Storyfest
  • Northlands Storyfest Newsletter begins with Sue Greenwood as first editor
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1983
  • A Story of Places/A Place of Stories. Northlands first formal “Conference”
  • Northlands adopts new Articles of Incorporation and By-laws created mainly by Michael Skindrud, lawyer, and Loren Niemi
  • First official annual meeting of general membership is held in Mineral Point, WI
  • Newsletter becomes “Grapevine”
  • Spring gathering formally named first “Conference” in Vol. 2 No. 3 of Grapevine
  • “Storytelling from the Heartlands” created with Co-producers Mark Wagler and Wisconsin Public Radio
  • Storytellers’ Roundtable of the Iowa Library Association established by Patricia Coffie, Dave Ashcraft, Duffy DeFrance
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1984
  • Politics and Media: Storytelling in 1984. Northlands
  • First Illinois Storytelling Festival in Spring Grove, IL Jim May
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
  • Elkader, IA (12)

1985
  • Stories: Bridges in Our Lives
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1986
  • Storytribe Gathers at the Oasis
  • Elaine Wynne and Larry Johnson begin work to “Make NAPPS National”
  • Northlands Audio Conference
  • First School of Storytelling
  • Playboy asks to participate at Northlands and is told “NO”
  • First “Stories from the Heartland” in Austin, MN
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1987
  • From Mountain to Mountain: Nurturing Grassroots Storytelling in the Midwest
  • First School of Storytelling is organized by Cindy Guthrie
  • NAPPS 1st National Congress St. Louis, MO with NSN a part of the planning and realization that “We are NAPPS.”
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1988
  • A Wellspring of Stories
  • Jimmy Neil Smith from NAPPS attends Northlands Conference
  • Storytelling & Cultural Diversity co-sponsored by NSN and Metro State University in Minneapolis
  • NAPPS 2nd National Congress in Santa Fe, NM. Ethics.
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is established with Michael Cotter, Donald Davis, and Patricia Coffie first tellers
  • Iowa Library Association president Patricia Coffie has Jim May as first general session storyteller
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1989 - Opening the Circle
  • NAPPS 3rd National Congress in Raleigh, NC. Storytelling and the Performing Arts
  • National Storytelling Journal becomes Storytelling Magazine
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 2nd
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg

1990 - Priming the Pump
  • Northlands Co-sponsored with NAPPS the 4th National Congress in St. Paul, MN
  • Alternating Currents. Storytelling, Community, and the Electronic Age
  • Co-coordinated by Larry Johnson and Elaine Wynne in Minneapolis
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 3rd
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1991 - Forging New Links
  • Corn Days Parade in Dows, IA features Northlands Board
  • NSN Co-sponsors Cindy Guthrie and Sarah Meybaum on trip to USSR
  • NAPPS 5th and final Congress in Groton, CT.
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 4th
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1992 - Spinning Stories—Weaving Worlds
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 5th
  • Two Chairs Telling begins in January in Minneapolis by Loren Niemi
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1993 - Net of Gems
  • Patricia Coffie elected to NAPPS Board
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 6th
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1994 - A Flood of Stories
  • $25 honorarium—first payment—for conference presenters is initiated
  • “Heads and Tales: Storytelling in Education” Madison, WI. Co-coordinated by: Mark Wagler and Larry Johnson.
  • National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling (NAPPS) becomes National Storytelling Association (NSA) 1994-1998.
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 7th
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1995
  • Tales and Tellers: Ten Years at Elkader (Actually 11)
  • First paid newsletter, membership records, mailings, etc.
  • National Storytelling Association establishes first awards: Lifetime Achievement, Circle of Excellence, Regional Service, and Regional Leadership.
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 8th
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1996
  • Stories—Sparks from the Fire
  • Themed issues begin for Storytelling Magazine
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 9th
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
  • Dubuque, IA (3)
1997
  • Stories: Bridges to the Future
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 10th
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1998
  • Stories: Celebration of Imagination
  • National Storytelling Association divides into International Storytelling Center and National Storytelling Membership Association (NSMA) 1999. National Storytelling Festival is mutually owned. National Storytelling Center is International Storytelling Center
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 11th
  • First “Cocktails for the Wicked” hosted by Loren Niemi at Northlands
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
1999
  • Telling Timeless Tales
  • Meanwhile back in Waverly, IA. Last Cedar River Storytellers Festival 1975-1999
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 12th
  • Loren Niemi elected to National Storytelling Membership Association’s Board of Directors
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
  • Madison, WI (8)
2000 - Stories for the New Tellenium
  • No Cedar River Storytellers Festival in Waverly, IA as Iowa’s first lady Christie Vilsack’s Stories 2000 in every library in Iowa begins
  • National Storytelling Membership Association (NSMA) becomes National Storytelling Network (another NSN) 2000 to present
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 13th
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival Waverly/Wartburg
2001
  • Growing the Future, Rooted in the Past
  • Cedar River Storytellers Festival 1975-1999 with a 2001 special by First Lady of Iowa Christie Vilsack given award in person by Loren Niemi of National Storytelling Network.
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 14th
2002
  • Nurturing Storytelling, Linking Storytellers
  • Business Manager, Karen Wollscheid, added!
  • Northlands Journal begins
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 15th
  • Madison, WI at Edgewater Hotel
2003
  • Nurturing Storytelling, Linking Storytellers
  • Edgewater Hotel Madison
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 16th
  • National Conference Sunday Concert in Chicago “A Taste of the North Lands”
2004
  • A Recipe for Success
  • Last “Cocktails for the Wicked” hosted by Loren Niemi at Northlands
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 17th
  • National Storytelling Network establishes Brimstone Grant for Applied Storytelling.
  • National Storytelling Network establishes J. J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Grant
2005
  • Hands across the Northlands
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 18th
2006
  • Join the Circle
  • Meanwhile back in Story City, IA. “Story!” First Annual Festival, Michael Cotter and Bev Jackson
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 18th

2007
  • Well-worn Paths & Roads Less Traveled
  • 25th Annual Northlands Storytelling Conference
  • National Storytelling Conference returns to St. Louis after 20 years
  • Northlands Storytelling Network presents “Storytellers Unleashed” at Minnesota Fringe Festival
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 19th
  • Story! Continues with 2nd Festival in Story City, IA
  • Green Lake, WI
2008
  • Northlands Storytelling Network Conference
  • 30th Anniversary of Founding of Northlands
  • National Storytelling Network cuts staff severely and plans move to urban city
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 20th
  • 3rd Annual Story! in Story City, IA
2009
  • Our Circle is Always Open
  • 27th Annual Northlands Storytelling Conference
  • Year of the Regions designation and grant from National Storytelling Network
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 21st Annual
  • 4th Annual Story! in Story City, IA
2010
  • The Tale’s the Thing.
  • Los Angeles for the National Storytelling Conference
  • Story! Continues with 5th Annual Festival in Story City, IA
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 22rd Annual.
  • Illinois Storytelling Festival continues at Dominican U in Illinois with Janice Del Negro
  • Iowa Library Association Storytellers’ Roundtable establishes “Power of Story” Award
  • Iowa Library Association Storytellers’ Roundtable sponsors 2 concurrent sessions by WonderWeavers at Iowa Library Association’s annual conference
  • Lake Geneva, WI at Grand Geneva Resort
2011
  • No Theme
  • Stories ‘till the Cows Come Home
  • Northlands reorganizes, reducing size of board and revising bylaws
  • Year of the Regions designation and grant from National Storytelling Network.
  • International Storytelling Center bankruptcy results in ISC’s appropriation of all proceeds to National Storytelling Festival.
  • National Storytelling Network regroups and reconsiders what it is to be a National membership organization with a Conference.
  • Northlands Journal and Membership Directory in print is last one
  • Story! 6th Annual in Story City, IA
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 23rd Annual.
  • Iowa Library Association Storytellers’ Roundtable features TWO storytellers (Tim Tingle and Pippa White) at ILA Annual Conference in Council Bluffs
2012
  • No Theme
  • Stories ‘till the Cows Come Home
  • Story! 7th Annual in Story City, IA
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, IA is 24th Annual
  • Cincinnati for the National Storytelling Conference in 2012 by National Storytelling Network
2013
  • No Theme
  • Stories ‘till the Cows Come Home
  • Story! 8th Annual in Story City, IA
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa is 25th Annual
  • Richmond, VA for the National Storytelling Conference in 2013
  • Lake Geneva, WI at Geneva Ridge Resort
2014
  • No Theme
  • Stories ‘till the Cows Come Home
  • Story! 9th Annual in Story City, IA
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake is 26th Annual
  • Phoenix AZ for National Storytelling Conference
  • National Storytelling Network moves headquarters to Kansas City, MO.
  • National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference Chicago
2015
  • Northlands Confabulation
  • Two Chairs Telling continues in Minneapolis with Loren Niemi
  • Story!10th Annual in Story City, IA
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival in Clear Lake is 27th Annual
  • Includes a workshop by Storytellers’ Roundtable of ILA
  • National Storytelling Network first Conference in Kansas City, Mo PATHWAYS
2016
  • Confabulation
  • Story! Revamped in Story City
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival 28th Flood in Park and Fire on Boat
  • National Storytelling Network second Conference in Kansas City, MO
2017
  • Confabulation
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival 29th No Boat and 2 sessions City Park. Fire on boat and flood in park!
  • National Storytelling Network third Conference in Kansas City, MO
2018
  • Northlands Confabulation with Beth Horner
  • 40 years from founding of Northlands
  • National Storytelling Network Summit in Kansas City, MO
  • Iowa Storytelling Festival 30th Boat and 3 sessions City Park
  • Pyle Center, Madison, WI
2019
  • Northlands Confabulation with Tim Lowry
  • National Storytelling Network in Fremont CA
  • Pyle Center, Madison, WI
2020 - Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
  • Northlands Confabulation with Kim Weitkamp
  • Pyle Center, Madison, WI
Copyright © 2022 Network Solutions, LLC, A Web.com Company. All rights reserved.

We use cookies to enable essential functionality on our website, and analyze website traffic. By clicking Accept you consent to our use of cookies. Read about how we use cookies.

Your Cookie Settings

We use cookies to enable essential functionality on our website, and analyze website traffic. Read about how we use cookies.

Cookie Categories

Essential

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our websites. You cannot refuse these cookies without impacting how our websites function. You can block or delete them by changing your browser settings, as described under the heading "Managing cookies" in the Privacy and Cookies Policy.

Analytics

These cookies collect information that is used in aggregate form to help us understand how our websites are being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are.