Because Mom Said So

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our May story slam was Listen to Your Mother. We heard stories about moms who say a lot, moms who don’t say much, rules laid out by mothers, and two stories involving Ouija boards.

We had two winners; Scott Blanchard and Doc Yoder each won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned spots in our Grand Slam in November. Scott (left) and Doc (right) are pictured here with this month’s host David Smith.

Click here to watch videos of all this month’s stories.

Tickets are on sale now for our June 20 story slam. The theme is Summer Love. Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

Listen to Your Mother

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our May 16 story slam is Listen to Your Mother.

We want to hear your stories about taking your mother's advice, not taking it, or learning things the hard way. 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.

Doing Whatever Is Asked

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our April story slam was Other Duties As Assigned. We heard stories about adventures in public service, lessons learned from customers, and unexpected job tasks for which our storytellers were not prepared.

We had two winners; Sarah Chain and Nick Dowling each won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned spots in our Grand Slam in November. Nick (left) and Sarah (right) are pictured here with this month’s host and 2017 Grand Slam champion Eileen Joyce.

Click here to watch videos of all this month’s stories.

Tickets are on sale now for our May 16 story slam. The theme is Listen to Your Mother. Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

Other Duties As Assigned

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our April 18 story slam is Other Duties As Assigned. Our 2017 Grand Slam champ Eileen Joyce will be visiting from Seattle, and will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories about being asked to go above and beyond, quiet quitting, and biting off more than you can chew. 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 are on sale now.

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

Holding Onto Hope

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our March story slam was Hope Springs Eternal. We heard stories about activism, the search for romantic partners, and the dangers of hope.

Our winner was Mike Reed, who 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 host, Meagan Given.

Click here to watch videos of all this month’s stories.

Tickets are on sale now for our April 18 story slam. The theme is Other Duties As Assigned, and 2017 Grand Slam champ Eileen Joyce will be our MC for the evening. Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

On Being Stubborn And Settling Estates

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our February story slam was Where There’s A Will. We heard stories about being determined, anxiety-induced gastrointestinal woes, and an unexpected inheritance.

Our winner was Jamie Beth Cohen, who 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 is pictured here with this month’s host, Matt McDunnell.

Click here to watch videos of all this month’s stories.

Tickets are on sale now for our March 21 story slam. The theme is Hope Springs Eternal, and Meagan Given will be our MC for the evening. Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

Where There's a Will...

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our February 21 story slam is Where There’s a Will. Matt McDunnell will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories about grit and determination, that time you maybe should have given up, and surprising things discovered when settling an estate. 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 are on sale now.

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

A Time Like No Other

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our first story slam of the season was A Time Like No Other. We heard stories about caring for ailing parents, a windy trek across Iceland, and one person’s experience going to Woodstock.

We had two winners; David MacVeigh and Matt McDunnell each won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned the first two spots in our Grand Slam in November. Matt (left) and David (right) are pictured here with this month’s host, Rita Whitney, from the Cultural Alliance of York County. Special thanks to the Cultural Alliance for including this slam in their campaign kickoff celebration and making the tickets free for those who attended.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Tickets are on sale now for our February 21 story slam. The theme is Where There’s a Will. Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

2023 Series Begins January 17

Photo by Catherine Roque

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

We've gotten the green light from Archetype Pizza to take over their space on the third Tuesday of the month in 2023 and we announced our themes for the year back in November.

Our first Story Slam of the year is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17. The theme is A TIME LIKE NO OTHER and Rita Whitney will be our MC. We want to hear your stories of special events, childhood adventures, or that thing that will never happen again. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

We are also pleased to announce that our January Story Slam is FREE once again this year. The event will be presented as a part of the Cultural Alliance of York County's 2023 Campaign Kickoff; a week of free events that shine a light on the impact that creativity and culture has on our lives every day. As part of this weeklong celebration, the Cultural Alliance will foot the bill for tickets to the January 17 York Story Slam. 

You still have to reserve your tickets, but they are FREE. We often sell out when tickets are NOT free, so we expect them to go fast. Get yours now before they're gone.

Become a supporter for the arts at www.culturalyork.org. Campaign Kickoff presented by Wellspan Health.

**UPDATE, JANUARY 9, 2023: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! No tickets will be available at the door. Sold out in less than three hours!**

No Place Like Home

Photo by Allison Witherow

Congratulations to Jason Plotkin, who won our 2022 Grand Slam. Jason 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 No Place Like Home, and it was our first in-person Grand Slam since 2019.

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

Thank you to David Mayer Smith, who emceed this year’s event.

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

2022 has been our seventh season of live storytelling events. Since 2016, we’ve welcomed more than 5,300 attendees and have had nearly 750 names in the hat. That’s 750 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 2023, and we’ll return to Archetype Pizza for another season.

In the meantime, click here to hear the stories from the Grand Slam.

Seventh 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.

At the end of our October event, we announced the theme for this year’s Grand Slam: NO PLACE LIKE HOME. 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:

Our Grand Slam is presented with generous support from the Appell Center for Performing Arts.

Making the Most of the Last Chance

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our October story slam was Last Chance. We heard stories about missing curfew, long-distance love, sex ed blunders, and stealing chickens.

We had two winners; Doc Yoder and Sarah Chain each won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned the final two spots in our Grand Slam in November. Doc (left) and Sarah (right) are pictured here with this month’s host, Jeremy Slagle.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Tickets are on sale now for our 2022 Grand Slam, when all the winners of each of our monthly story slams return to compete for the title of York's Best Storyteller. The Grand Slam will be held on November 15 at the beautiful Capitol Theatre. We announced the theme at the end of the October event: No Place Like Home.

Last Chance!

Photo by Allison Witherow

The theme for our October 18 story slam is Last Chance. Jeremy Slagle will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories about final countdowns, ultimatums, and giving it one more try. This is the last chance to earn a spot in our 2022 Grand Slam! 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.

The Grand Slam theme will be announced 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 and beverages from GearHouse Brewing Company.

We Got Schooled

Photo by Allison Witherow

The theme for our September story slam was Schooled. We heard stories from teachers, parents, former students, and lifelong learners.

The evening ended in a tie. Adam McCallister and Matt McDunnell each won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned places in our Grand Slam in November. Adam (left) and Matt (center) are pictured here with this month’s host, Ryan Roe.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Tickets are on sale now for our October 18 story slam. The theme is Last Chance, and it will indeed be the last chance to get a spot in our Grand Slam. We’ll announce the Grand Slam theme at the end of the October event.

Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

School's in Session

Photo by Allison Witherow

The theme for our September story slam is Schooled. Ryan Roe will be our MC for the evening.

We want to hear your stories about classrooms, dorm rooms, and learning the hard way. 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 are on sale now.

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

Workshop Your Story!

Virtual Story Slam Workshop

September 13, 2022
7-8:30 pm
via Zoom
Click here to register

Do you have an idea for a story that isn't quite ready for the main stage? Or maybe you're looking for an opportunity to practice your story before sharing it at an upcoming story slam event? Here's your chance! Join us on Tuesday, September 13 at 7 pm for a virtual storytelling workshop. During this free workshop, you'll have a chance to share your story and receive feedback from other storytellers. This event is open to beginners as well as seasoned storytellers.

This is a FREE workshop, hosted jointly by York and Lancaster Story Slams. If there is sufficient interest, we may host a regular gathering like this next year.

There are a few more chances to share stories onstage this year. Here are the remaining themes for 2022:

September

York Story Slam - Schooled
Lancaster Story Slam - What Was I Thinking?

October

York Story Slam - Last Chance
Lancaster Story Slam - IMHO

August 16 Event Canceled

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our August 16 event is canceled.

Tickets are on sale now for our September 20 story slam. The theme is Schooled, and our MC for the evening will be Ryan Roe, who won York Story Slam in June and Lancaster Story Slam in July.

Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

Ships in the Night

Photo by Allison Witherow

The theme for our August story slam is Missed Connections.

We want to hear your stories about the time things just didn’t line up, ships passing in the night, and the ones that got away. 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 are on sale now.

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

Waving the Checkered Flag

Photo by Allison Witherow

The theme for our July story slam was Start Your Engines. We heard stories about first cars, creative jumpstart techniques, and Cujo-esque dog attacks through open car windows.

Tony Crocamo won with his story about helping his wife when her car broke down. Tony 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. Tony (right) is pictured here with this month’s host, David Smith.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Tickets are on sale now for our August 16 story slam. The theme is Missed Connections. Our events often sell out in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets now!

Start Your Engines!

Photo by Catherine Roque

The theme for our July story slam is Start Your Engines, and our MC this month is the hilarious David Smith.

We want to hear your stories of your first car, your breakdowns, and gearing up to launch into something new. 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 are on sale now.

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