The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival: The West's Biggest Story Party

Abigail Giordano Senior Writer, Provo.com

Every big festival promises something for the whole family. The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival actually delivers it — and it has been doing so for 37 years. Each September, some of the best storytellers in the country descend on Lehi for a weekend that manages to hold a five-year-old and their grandparent equally rapt. In 2026 it runs September 10–12 at Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point.

If you've never been, it's hard to explain why sitting in a tent listening to someone tell a story is so good. But it is. This is the largest storytelling festival in the western United States, and there's a reason people drive in from out of state and buy the same seats year after year.

What a Day Is Actually Like

During the day on Friday and Saturday, storytellers rotate through several tents scattered across the gardens, so you wander from one to the next like a music festival — except instead of bands, you're catching a tall tale here, a family folk story there, a bit of history somewhere else. There's a dedicated Family Tent for younger kids, plus magic shows, live music, pottery, Dungeons & Dragons, and enough food to make a full afternoon of it. The 50-acre gardens do a lot of the work: even between performances, it's a beautiful place to be.

The Evenings Are the Main Event

The daytime is wonderful, but the evening concerts are where the festival earns its reputation. Each night has a theme. Friday, you pick your mood: Bedtime Stories is built for families with little ones (and at $5 a person, it's the best entertainment deal in the valley that weekend), the Story Showcase is the all-ages headliner, and Shivers is for people who like the hair on their arms to stand up. Saturday night closes the festival with The Last Laugh — exactly what it sounds like.

New for 2026

If you've been before, there's one change worth knowing: with the Show Barn under renovation as part of Thanksgiving Point's big STEM expansion, all of the storytelling moves into Ashton Gardens this year. Honestly, it might be an upgrade — the gardens are the prettiest setting the festival has had. And for first-timers, there's now a $10 Sneak Peek on Thursday, Sept 10 (doors at 3 p.m.), a low-commitment way to test the waters before buying into a full day.

Planning Tips

• Buy ahead. Day passes and full-festival tickets are at timpfest.org; early-bird pricing runs through August 1, and members and groups of six-plus save.
• Bring a blanket or low chairs, and pack layers — the gardens cool down noticeably after sunset.
• Food is welcome. Bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic drinks; there are filling stations and vendors on site. Leave the pets at home — they're not allowed on the property.
• Give yourself time. It's a place to linger, not to rush between two shows.

The festival sits about 45 minutes south of the Salt Lake City airport, which makes it an easy trip for out-of-town family too. For the quick details, see our Timpanogos Storytelling Festival event listing. And for the rest of the season, our guide to Utah Valley's late-summer and Labor Day events rounds up everything worth putting on the calendar, or browse the full Provo events page.

Abigail Giordano

Senior Writer

Abigail Giordano is a senior writer at Provo.com covering student life, family resources, and community events across Utah Valley. Her writing focuses on making Provo more accessible and navigable for newcomers, students, and families — the practical guides that help people feel at home faster.