Tenth Season Begins January 21

Photo by Catherine Roque

We had a great evening at our Grand Slam in November, and now we're excited to kick off our tenth season of live storytelling.

We’ll be in a new location this year - new to us, and new to the community. The Hangar at New York Wire Works is a new event space that will open in January, and we’ll be among the first gatherings to take place there. Food and nonalcoholic beverages will be available for purchase from The Wired Chef during our events, and we’ll have announcements soon about beer, as well, for those who prefer a little liquid courage before putting their name into the hat.

We’ll continue to host our events on the third Tuesday of the month in 2025. We announced our themes for 2025 at the Grand Slam.

Our first Story Slam of the year is scheduled for Tuesday, January 21. The theme is Tipping Point. We want to hear your stories of the final straws that pushed you over the edge or in a new direction, small things that made a big difference, and the moments where you realized there was no turning back. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets on sale December 26 at 10 am.

Good News Abounds

Photo by Catherine Roque

Congratulations to Tim McGuinness, who won our 2024 Grand Slam! Tim competed with the other winners from this year's monthly open mic story slams and earned the title of Best Storyteller in York. The theme for the evening was Good News, and Tim (center) is pictured here with our Grand Slam emcee, David Smith (right), and York Story Slam producer JJ Sheffer (left).

Thank you to the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, who have hosted all nine of our annual Grand Slams in the beautiful Capitol Theatre.

Thank you to everyone who showed up this year to listen, and everyone who bravely put their names into the hat to share stories.

2024 has been our ninth season of live storytelling events. Since 2016, we’ve welcomed more than 6,300 attendees and have had more than 930 names in the hat. That’s more than 930 true, personal stories shared with neighbors – friends, acquaintances, and strangers – in the safe space York Story Slam provides. Storytelling is a wonderful way to get to know others in your community; to uncover things we have in common and to recognize and better understand our differences. We are honored to provide a platform for people to share true, personal stories.

We won’t have a story slam event in December – we will be putting the finishing touches on next year’s series. We’ll continue to host our monthly events on the third Tuesday of the month in 2025, and we'll be in a new location. Stay tuned for details!

Click here for videos of all the stories from the Grand Slam.

Photo by Catherine Roque

Ninth Annual Grand Slam!

Photo by Isaac Edmondson Photography

It’s time for our Grand Slam!

The Grand Slam is our annual culminating event where all the winners from the season are invited back to compete for the title of Best Storyteller in York, a big ol’ trophy, and bragging rights for an entire year. This year’s Grand Slam will be held on November 19, and we’ll be at the beautiful Capitol Theatre once again, thanks to generous, continuing support from the Appell Center for Performing Arts.

At the end of our October event, we announced the theme for this year’s Grand Slam: GOOD NEWS. Our MC for the evening will be David Smith.

Tickets are on sale now. They’re limited, so get yours while the gettin’s good.

In the meantime, you can look back on all the winning stories from this year with this handy playlist:

No Theme, No Problem!

Photo by Roque Visuals

Our final open mic slam of the year was open theme. We heard some great stories, and ended up with two winners: Marianne Sheely and Melanie Yan.

Marianne and Melanie each won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned the final spots in our Grand Slam in November. Our winners are pictured here with this month’s emcee, Tim McGuinness.

Click here for videos all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our 2024 Grand Slam, when all the winners of each of our monthly open mic story slams return to compete for the title of York's Best Storyteller. The Grand Slam will be held on November 19 at the beautiful Capitol Theatre. We announced the theme at the end of the October event: Good News.

BYOT

Photo by Catherine Roque

Our October 15 event is an open-theme slam, meaning there is no theme. So if you’ve had a story in mind you want to tell, but couldn’t figure out how to make it fit one of the themes this year, now’s your chance! Tim McGuinness will be our emcee for the evening. This is the last open mic event of the season, so it’s the last chance to earn a spot in our 2024 Grand Slam. And speaking of the Grand Slam, we’ll announce this year’s theme at the end of the October event.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.

Rebels With A Cause

Photo by Roque Visuals

The theme for our September story slam was Rebellion. We heard stories about questioning one’s religious upbringing, staying out late, and breaking from family tradition. Our winner was Christina Crawford, who shared a story from her days as a Catholic school student.

Christina won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November. She is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Mike Pritchard.

Click here for videos of all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our October 15 story slam. It is an open-theme slam. The theme for our 2024 Grand Slam will be announced at the end of the evening. Tim McGuinness will be our host.

Rebellion

Photo by Roque Visuals

The theme for our September 17 story slam is Rebellion.

We want to hear your stories about pushing back against the status quo, defying authority, and general badassery. However you interpret the theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.

Learning the Hard Way

Photo by Roque Visuals

The theme for our August story slam was Who Knew? We heard stories about performing beyond ones own expectations, the results of unintentionally swapping out an ingredient in a pie recipe, and what happens when you place your hand on a stove burner (spoiler alert: you earn a new nickname). Our winner was Tim McGuinness, who shared a story from his OB/GYN residency at York Hospital.

Tim won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November. Tim, left, is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Mike Pritchard.

Click here for videos of all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our September 17 story slam. The theme is Rebellion.

Who Knew?

Photo by Roque Visuals

The theme for our August 20 story slam is Who Knew?, and Mike Pritchard will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories about surprising-to-you discoveries, being oblivious or impervious to the obvious, and catching up to life lessons everyone else already learned. However you interpret the theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.

Free as a Bird

Photo by Roque Visuals

The theme for our July story slam was Freedom. We heard stories about what it feels like to float in water, taking up running again after an injury and subsequent surgery, deprogramming from deeply ingrained responses after leaving a cult, and even one about an eccentric uncle with a pet deer. Our winner was Greg Smith, who shared about the feeling of freedom he experienced when he got his first bike.

Greg won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November. Greg, right, is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Aaron Lewis.

Click here for videos of all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our August 20 story slam. The theme is Who Knew?, and Mike Pritchard will be our host for the evening (for real this time).

Freedom

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our July 16 story slam is Freedom, and Mike Pritchard will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories of breaking loose, untangling from what’s holding you back, or the feeling of taking your bra off at the end of a long day. However you interpret the theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.

Chosen Family

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our June story slam was Family Ties. We heard stories about blood relations, chosen family, surprising DNA test results, and one story about Family (mafia) ties. Our winner was Ann Jacob, who shared about finding community and solidarity with her church family during her tenure as a pastor of an open and affirming congregation.

Ann won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November. Ann is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Corey Wolfe.

Click here for videos of all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our July 16 story slam. The theme is Freedom, and Mike Pritchard will be our host for the evening.

Family Ties

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our June 18 story slam is Family Ties, and Corey Wolfe will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories of of legacies you’ve carried forward – intentionally or unintentionally, the relations by blood or by choice, and surprising 23 & Me discoveries. However you interpret the theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.

So Many Choices...

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our May story slam was Decisions, Decisions. We heard stories about people’s decision-making process and learned that perhaps the best stories come from the times we make decisions without taking good advice into consideration. Our winner was Mike Reed, who told a story about the anticipation leading up to a high-profile court decision.

Mike won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November. Mike is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Jamie Beth Cohen.

Click here for videos of all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our June 18 story slam. The theme is Family Ties, and Corey Wolfe will be our host for the evening.

Decisions, Decisions

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our May 21 story slam is Decisions, Decisions, and Jamie Beth Cohen will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories of weighing the pros and cons, facing forks in the road, and tough choices. However you interpret the theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.

Will Run for Burritos

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our April story slam was Distance. We heard stories about road trip detours, dangerous hikes, communicating via teletype, and even one about singing in a bar with Richard Nixon accompanying on piano. Our winner was Corey Wolfe, who told a story about running the Roburrito’s half-marathon with zero training or experience.

Corey won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November. Corey is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Meagan Given. Meagan joined us to talk about Give Local York, coming up May 2-3.

Click here for videos of all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our May 21 story slam. The theme is Decisions, Decisions, and Jamie Beth Cohen will be our host for the evening.

Our events have been selling out in advance every month, so get your tickets now if you want to attend!

Going the Distance

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our April 16 story slam is Distance, and Meagan Given will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories of physical and emotional journeys, in-between spaces, and when you thought you had more space and time before a big moment. However you interpret the theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.

Registration Open for Upcoming Storytelling Workshops

It’s been a while since we hosted storytelling workshops. York Story Slam, along with our sister series Lancaster Story Slam, is offering storytelling workshops: Stories - Where to Find Them, How to Tell Them.

We will host two sessions - May 7 and June 4, from 7-9 pm at West Art in Lancaster.

Conducted by story slam producers JJ Sheffer and Tony Crocamo, the workshop offers a proven and easy process for finding and preparing your stories as well as tips on how to deliver your stories for the greatest impact.

Registration is limited to 20 participants per class. The $20 ticket covers the cost of the room rental and supplies, with any proceeds going to York and Lancaster Story Slams.

Click here to register.

Dangerous Adventures

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our March story slam was Safety First. We heard stories about firearm safety, high school science experiments, several about whitewater rafting, and one about safe handling of mace. Our winner was Jamie Beth, who told a story about tubing in the Poconos with her family.

Jamie Beth won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November. Jamie Beth (left) is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Tony Crocamo.

Click here to hear all the stories from this month.

Tickets are on sale now for our April 16 story slam. The theme is Distance, and Meagan Given will be our host for the evening.

Our events have been selling out in advance every month, so get your tickets now if you want to attend!

Safety First

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our March 19 story slam is Safety First, and Tony Crocamo will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories about taking precautions, prioritizing your security, playing it safe, and incidents you wouldn’t want to report to OSHA. However you interpret the theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. Those who wish to share a story will sign up upon arrival that evening.

Tickets are on sale now.

As always, food and beverages are available for purchase during our events from Archetype Pizza.