The Women’s Storytelling Festival (WSF) will take place March 20 – 23, 2025. Hosted by Better Said Than Done, in-person performances will be held at the Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax, VA from March 21 – 23, with a special virtual-only showcase premiering on March 20. The festival will also be livestreamed online. Showcasing a wide range of storytelling styles, the 2025 festival features 19 storytellers who will be performing spoken word stories, and is intended for a mature audience. All ticket holders, whether in-person or virtual, will be able to watch the festival videos for one month after the festival concludes.
The 19 storytellers in the 2025 Women’s Storytelling Festival will be sharing personal stories, folk tales, and stories of adventure and magic. They are coming from across the nation, from Alaska to Colorado, Minnesota to Virginia. They also span a wide range of experience, with relative newcomers telling alongside veterans of more than two decades. Among the festival performers are authors, poets, podcasters, teaching artists, and contributors to storytelling shows and festivals across the country including WGBH’s Stories from the Stage, the National Storytelling Festival, and the Moth storytelling series.
“A festival is a celebration, so dedicating a weekend to celebrate the voices and stories of women shows their perspectives are valued,” says storyteller Jennifer Hillery (Reading, MA).
Veteran storyteller Laura Packer (Wayzata, MN) adds, “Women’s voices matter, our lived experiences are real, and yet those voices and experiences are often dismissed. Storytelling festivals generally feature more men than women, though there are far more women who tell; the existing bias silences us. This festival gives women a chance to share their personal stories, their interpretations of traditional material, and to be heard without apology or fight.”
Storyteller Amanda Lawrence (Blairsville, GA) agrees, adding, “Women continue to need spaces in which they can share their stories without interruption or judgment, and now, more than ever, the world needs to hear those stories.”
Producer Jessica Robinson (Fairfax, VA) says of the evolution of the festival, “2025 will be our sixth event. Since the festival’s debut in March of 2020, there’ve been a lot of changes. Starting in 2022, and continuing through today, the festival is a hybrid experience. The audience is invited to attend in-person in Fairfax, VA, but for the many people across the country who cannot make it for one reason or another, we continue to offer a livestream and the recordings for one month after.”
When asked what people should know about attending the festival, storyteller Sarah Snyder (Herndon, VA) says, “It’s like hanging out in the living room of someone’s house, whom you may or may not know. But one thing you do come to know, if you stay, is that everyone is welcome, and you get to meet and befriend so many amazing women.”
Storyteller Miriam Nadel (Vienna, VA) goes on to say, “It’s more interactive than most forms of entertainment you can experience. Everyone in the audience ends up nodding their heads in understanding and agreement.”
Returning Storyteller Carol Moore (Herndon, VA) enjoys the entire atmosphere of the festival; “It feels like an escape into an entirely different world for days, where somehow, you’re constantly comforted by camaraderie but also guaranteed to hear, learn, or experience something new. There is laughter and joy, discovery and wonder, empathy and healing. Honestly, it’s one of the best emotional vacations you could take!”
The Women’s Storytelling Festival kicks off Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 8:00 pm ET, with a virtual showcase, and the in-person and livestreaming storytelling begins on Friday March 21, 2025 at 7:00 pm ET. The festival concludes Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 5:00 pm.
“Women aren’t afraid of getting raw and personal. We aren’t afraid of being vulnerable, once we’re together and realize this is a safe place to be who you are,” says storyteller Sarah Snyder. “Having attended just about every WSF so far, I feel totally comfortable letting loose, going deep, and trusting that the listeners will hold me and honor me.”
Festival tickets are on sale now at https://bettersaidthandone.org/womens-festival/. The stories are intended for a mature audience; people of all gender identities are welcome to attend.
“It always impresses me what a variety of experiences women have had. We may come from different places and cultures, but our experiences can bring us together across the generations,” says storyteller Miriam Nadel.
Storyteller Aimee Snow (Manassas, VA) agrees, adding, “So many women from different backgrounds and ages in one place makes for an amazing experience!”
Of producing the festival, Jessica Robinson concludes, “The stories go deep, the performances are amazing, and the audience is rapt. The WSF is truly one of the best festivals, of any performance art, I have ever seen, each and every year. The WSF features many of the best storytellers in the country and gives them a space to let loose and tell stories they might not share on other stages. You might think, I’ll only go for one showcase, but once you have started to watch, you are not going to want to miss a second of the rest of the weekend. Plan to come and stay! You won’t regret it.”
Storyteller Laura Packer agrees: “It will exceed your expectations,” she says. “Each story is powerful, and the stories heard together become a celebration and exploration of what it is to be human. Be prepared to feel feelings, to laugh, and to connect powerfully with everyone there.”
The 2025 Women’s Storytelling Festival, presented by Better Said Than Done, kicks off Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 8:00 pm ET, with a virtual showcase. The in-person and livestreaming storytelling begins on Friday March 21, 2025 at 7:00 pm at the Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd, Fairfax, VA 22030. The festival concludes Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 5:00 pm. For full festival passes, the price of a virtual ticket is $45, and in-person tickets are $70. There will also be one-day in-person passes available at the door for $35 per day. Purchase festival passes online.
ABOUT BETTER SAID THAN DONE
Better Said Than Done defines storytelling as the art of performing a story in front of a live audience. Storytelling is a performance, an art, a form of entertainment, and, from our mouths, a reality the audience will not forget. Better Said Than Done, Inc., was launched in May 2011 by Jessica Piscitelli Robinson, to bring the art of storytelling to Northern Virginia. For more information on upcoming shows, storytellers, or workshops, please visit https://bettersaidthandone.org.
Storyteller Bios:
Festival attendees will find a range of stories and storytelling styles featuring diverse experiences and cultures. Learn more about the festival’s 19 storytellers here:
https://bettersaidthandone.org/womens-festival/2025-festival-storytellers/