11/21: Floyd Tellabration! Liars Contest
FLOYD, Va. — For two years running, the same storyteller has taken first place at the Tellabration! Liars Contest. On Saturday, November 21, 2026, Southwest Virginia’s best fibbers get another shot at his title. The contest runs from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at The June Bug Center for Arts & Education in Floyd. Admission is free.
Up to eight contestants will tell tall tales that are almost believable. Each is out to tell the biggest, most outlandish story of the night for a panel of three judges, all well-known Floyd County residents. Cash prizes are $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third.
Contestants pay $10 to enter, and every entry fee goes to The June Bug Center.
“I’ve been telling our champ it’s time somebody knocked him off the throne,” said Clinton Atwater, founder of Storytelling Connections, LLC and producer of the Let Me Tell Ya! storytelling series. “His answer was, ‘It won’t be easy!’ So I’m calling on every porch-sitter, fish-story teller and tall-tale spinner in the region to come prove him wrong.”
HOW THE CONTEST WORKS
The telling order is drawn at random in advance, so each teller knows when they’re up. Each teller gets six minutes, plus a one-minute grace period, and tells the story without notes. At seven minutes, the teller is disqualified. Stories must be original or drawn from folklore, and they must suit an all-ages audience. Judges score four things: technique, story development, originality and how well the story works as a tall tale. The audience’s reaction counts toward that last score, so the crowd’s laughter helps decide the winner.
“People sometimes think a liars contest is about catching somebody in a lie. It isn’t,” Atwater said. “It’s about who can tell the best tall tale. The best ones start out sounding perfectly reasonable, then get bigger and wilder by the minute, until the whole room is laughing at how far the teller took it.”
The first contest in 2024 drew more than 80 people to The June Bug Center. Tellers of all ages and experience levels are welcome, from seasoned performers to first-timers. To keep the show within its 90 minutes, registration is limited to eight contestants and closes Sunday, November 15, or sooner if all spots fill.
The Liars Contest is a Let Me Tell Ya! Storytelling Event produced by Storytelling Connections, LLC and presented with Blue Ridge Story Space. Sponsors are The June Bug Center, Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival, the Virginia Storytelling Alliance (VASA) and Brogan Insurance. Along with their cash prizes, all three winners receive the Golden Shovel Award, which honors the tellers who dig the deepest and pile it highest. The contest is part of Tellabration!™, a worldwide celebration of storytelling organized by the National Storytelling Network.
“Make an evening of it,” Atwater added. “Floyd is known for its music, arts, local food and wine, and hospitality. Come early, have dinner in town, then come let our tellers stretch the truth.”
WHAT 3rd Annual Tellabration! Liars Contest
WHEN Saturday, November 21, 2026, 5:30–7:00 p.m.
WHERE The June Bug Center for Arts & Education, 251 Parkway Ln S, Floyd, VA 24091
ADMISSION Free
CONTESTANT ENTRY $10, all proceeds to The June Bug Center. Limited to 8 tellers.
Registration closes Sunday, Nov. 15.
REGISTER TO COMPETE eventbrite.com/e/1998068115520
PRIZES $100 (1st), $50 (2nd), $25 (3rd), plus a Golden Shovel Award for each winner
MEDIA RESOURCES
Clinton Atwater is available for print, radio and TV interviews, and can tell a short tall tale on air.
Hear a sample Liars Contest story: tinyurl.com/3pjrfjfp
Photo and video opportunities are available at the event on Nov. 21. Media are welcome to attend.
ABOUT STORYTELLING CONNECTIONS AND LET ME TELL YA!
Storytelling Connections, LLC was founded by storyteller Clinton Atwater around one vision: connecting stories and people. It produces Let Me Tell Ya!, a storytelling community that hosts live events across the region and meets online twice a month for workshops and story swaps. Atwater received the National Storytelling Network’s 2025 ORACLE Award for service and leadership to the Mid-Atlantic storytelling community.
