Ingles Open Road: Story Parlor

I’m Chris Bainbridge, and I love the Carolinas. This is an amazing place to find adventure in all shapes and sizes – even in our changing world. Ingles sent me on a mission to bring you the very best of what our beautiful home has to offer – food, fun, nature, music, and more… all affordable, and all out of the ordinary.

Have we got an amazing story for you! We just wish that there was a space that we could go to that was built for telling stories and bringing the community together through the arts. Oh wait, we do! It’s called the Story Parlor.

Owned and operated by Erin Hallagan Clare, the Story Parlor is a cooperative arts space that offers a variety of events and workshops for the community, by the community. That’s right, the stories here are told by your own neighbors in creative ways and across all disciplines of the arts.

At the Story Parlor, you not only get to experience great stories, but you’re encouraged to share your own! And the talented hosts here offer lots of fun and interactive ways that you can express yourself in your own way.

The fun that I got to be a part of was brought to us by Tim Hearn with Speakeasy Improv. Once a month, Tim hosts an improv jam night here at the parlor, where everyone is invited to come out and laugh along at the hilarious improv games or test their own improv skills in a fun & relaxed setting.

What you have to know about improv is…that there’s nothing you have to know about improv. The whole idea is that you make it up as you go, and most importantly – to have a good time! But if improv jams are not your jam, there are lots of other events that you can come out and enjoy.

There’s the Gathering of the Bards Story Mixer. This is where the parlor hosts 5-6 new artists of different mediums to share a 15 minute original piece. Anyone can come out to enjoy the talented musicians, poets, performers, storytellers, and more from our own community.

If you want to get the kiddos involved in the fun, bring them out to Zoe’s Treehouse. This Saturday morning interactive show is hosted by Zoe Zelonky, a local theatre educator who will get all of your little ones on their feet to sing, dance, and just have a blast.

We’ve just scratched the surface of all of the fun opportunities that await you here at the Story Parlor. They offer a plethora of events, classes, and workshops, and they’re all sure to get your creative juices flowing!