Pike County Alabama Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival
For two days each January, Pike County becomes one of the storytelling capitals of the South. The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival brings master tellers from across the country to Brundidge and Troy, filling two intimate venues with tales that range from folk history to family comedy.
The festival has been a winter fixture since the early 2000s, and it has built a devoted following among fans of the oral tradition. It is a rare thing in the modern South: an event built entirely around the human voice, with no screens, no spectacle, and no need for either.
Brundidge and Troy make a natural pair of hosts. Brundidge has the We Piddle Around Theater, a small performance space with the kind of acoustics and atmosphere that storytelling demands. Troy, home to Troy University, brings a larger venue and an academic audience that keeps the tradition connected to a new generation.
| Festival name | Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival |
| Location | We Piddle Around Theater, Brundidge, and Trojan Center Theater, Troy University, Pike County, Alabama |
| Typical timing | Last Friday and Saturday in January |
| Format | Two-day storytelling festival with multiple sessions |
| Admission | Ticketed performances |
| Organizers | Brundidge Chamber of Commerce and Troy University |
| Signature features | Nationally known storytellers, two venues, daytime and evening sessions |
About the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival
The festival is a celebration of storytelling as a living art. Each year it brings together tellers with national reputations and regional favorites, presenting them across several sessions over the course of a weekend. Audiences hear everything from Appalachian folk tales to personal memoir, from historical narrative to comic storytelling.
The name comes from the festival’s home venue, the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge. The building began life as a movie theater and was later revived as a performance space, and the festival grew out of the local tradition of gathering to hear a good story. For a look at how it fits the county’s calendar, it stands alongside events such as the Pike County Alabama Brundidge Peanut Butter Festival each October.
Over the years the festival has drawn some of the best-known names in the storytelling world, including tellers recognized by the National Storytelling Network and performers who appear at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. That connection places a small Alabama county on the map of a national tradition.
The Art of Storytelling in the South
Storytelling has deep roots in the rural South. Before television and radio, families and communities passed on history, humor, and wisdom through the spoken word, and that habit never fully disappeared in places like Pike County. The festival keeps the practice alive and gives it a stage.
The tellers who perform at Pike Piddlers work in a range of styles. Some draw on family history, some on regional folklore, and some on the kind of tall tale that has been told on front porches for generations. What they share is the ability to hold a room with nothing but a voice and a story. Many of them have spent decades honing their craft at festivals, schools, and libraries across the country.
- Two-day festival held each January
- Hosted in Brundidge and at Troy University
- Features nationally known storytellers
- Performances across daytime and evening sessions
- Built around the oral tradition of the rural South
What to Expect at the Festival
The venues
The We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge is the festival’s home base, a small venue where every seat feels close to the stage. The Trojan Center Theater on the Troy University campus provides a larger space for the weekend’s bigger sessions. Together the two venues give the festival a range of settings, from intimate to grand.
The performances
Sessions run across the weekend, with different tellers taking the stage for each block. Some performances are geared toward adults, with humor and reflection, while others are family-friendly. The variety is part of the appeal, and many attendees come for the whole weekend rather than a single session.
Community and tradition
The festival is as much a gathering as a performance series. Regulars return year after year, tellers greet old friends, and the audiences are as much a part of the atmosphere as the performers. It is the kind of event where the pleasure comes from being in a room together, listening. Between sessions, attendees linger in the lobby to talk over what they have just heard.
Planning Your Visit
Getting to Brundidge and Troy
Both towns sit along U.S. Highway 231 in Pike County, with Troy to the north and Brundidge about twenty minutes south. Montgomery and Dothan are each within an hour and a half, and the drive from Birmingham or the Florida Panhandle is straightforward. The two venues are close enough that attendees can move between them during the weekend.
Where to stay
Troy has the widest selection of hotels, with additional options in the surrounding area. Because the festival falls in January and the sessions fill up, it is worth booking lodging and tickets well in advance. Many attendees make a weekend of it and stay in Troy.
Logistics and tips
The festival is ticketed, and popular sessions sell out, so check the schedule and reserve early. Sessions run across both days, with daytime and evening blocks, and the venues are indoor and heated, which matters in January. Arrive a little before each session to find your seat and settle in.
A Weekend at the Festival
The festival opens on Friday, usually with an evening session that sets the tone for the weekend. Audiences arrive early, greet friends, and find their seats in the intimate setting of the We Piddle Around Theater. The first teller takes the stage, and the room goes quiet. From that moment, the only thing in the room is a voice and the story it is telling.
Saturday is the busiest day, with sessions running from morning into the evening across both venues. Attendees move between performances, take breaks for meals in Troy or Brundidge, and compare notes on their favorite tellers. The variety keeps the day moving.
By the final session, the weekend has taken on the feel of a reunion. Tellers and audience members have shared two days of stories, and the closing performance sends everyone home with something to remember. It is a fitting end to a festival built on the oldest form of entertainment there is.
How It Compares to Nearby Events
Pike County and the Wiregrass keep a busy calendar, and each event has its own character. The table below places the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival alongside a few others in the region.
| Festival | Focus | Typical season |
| Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival | Storytelling and oral tradition | January |
| Brundidge Peanut Butter Festival | Peanut heritage, parade, and street fair | October |
| Troy Fest | Arts, music, and downtown festival | Spring |
| Pike County Fair | Agricultural fair and entertainment | Fall |
A Festival Checklist
- Reserve tickets early, since popular sessions sell out
- Check which sessions are at which venue before you go
- Book lodging in Troy if you plan to stay the weekend
- Dress for a January weekend in an indoor venue
- Plan to attend more than one session for the full experience
Beyond the Festival
A visit to Pike County offers more than the festival. Troy is home to Troy University, with its historic campus and its own downtown of shops and restaurants. The Johnson Center for the Arts and the Pioneer Museum of Alabama add cultural stops, and the town’s square is worth a walk.
Brundidge, meanwhile, has its peanut heritage, its historic downtown, and the We Piddle Around Theater itself. The surrounding countryside of peanut and cotton fields gives the region its character, and a drive through the Wiregrass makes the stories heard at the festival easier to picture. The town’s annual Peanut Butter Festival, held each October, shows the same community spirit in a very different season.
Why the Festival Matters
The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival matters because it keeps an old art form alive in a place where it has always mattered. Storytelling shaped how rural Southern communities understood themselves, and the festival carries that tradition forward with skill and affection.
It also matters for what it brings to the county. For one weekend each winter, Pike County hosts performers and audiences from across the country, and the two towns become a meeting place for people who value the spoken word. That is a rare thing, and it is worth protecting. As long as there are listeners willing to sit in a quiet room and pay attention, the tradition will have somewhere to live.
Festival Area Map
The Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival is held at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge and the Trojan Center Theater at Troy University, both in Pike County, Alabama, along the U.S. Highway 231 corridor.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival held?
It is held on the last Friday and Saturday in January each year. Sessions run during the day and in the evening across the two venues.
Where is the festival held?
It takes place at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge, Alabama, and at the Trojan Center Theater on the Troy University campus in Troy. Both are in Pike County.
Is there an admission fee?
Yes. The festival is ticketed, with separate admission for individual sessions. Popular sessions sell out, so reserving early is recommended.
Who performs at the festival?
The lineup features nationally known storytellers along with regional and local tellers. Performers have included artists recognized by the National Storytelling Network and tellers who appear at major storytelling festivals.
Is the festival good for families?
Yes. Many sessions are family-friendly, with tales suited to all ages. Some performances are aimed more at adults, so check the schedule for the session that fits your group.
How do I get to Brundidge and Troy?
Both towns sit on U.S. Highway 231 in Pike County, with Troy to the north and Brundidge about twenty minutes south. Montgomery and Dothan are each within an hour and a half.
What to Expect From the Next Pike Piddlers Festival
The festival has been held annually since the early 2000s, and it continues to draw storytellers and audiences from across the country. Organizers announce each year’s lineup and session schedule in advance.
How often is the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival held?
It is held once a year, on the last Friday and Saturday in January, following a tradition that dates back more than two decades.
When is the next Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival?
The next edition is expected on the last Friday and Saturday in January, with the lineup and ticket details announced in advance. Confirm the dates before planning your trip.
Will the festival change?
The core of the event, live storytelling across two venues, is likely to remain. The lineup of tellers and the session schedule are set each year by the organizers.
Last updated: October 2026
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