Are you in town and it’s the second Thursday of the month? Then grab 6 dollars in cash and come to Hero’s Welcome on Main Street to watch the second-longest-running story slam in the world. It is a very unexpected and underrated treat!

I’m unfamiliar how other story slams are done, but here we have 10 storytellers who bravely volunteer to tell their sometimes very personal and intimate tales to an audience comprised of mostly strangers. Storytellers have up to 7 minutes to complete their story (otherwise the gong sounds and they’re kicked off the stage), but in order to qualify for prizes, the stories must be between 4 and 6 minutes.

With ballots in hand for notes and voting, the audience drum rolls as each participant gets ready to take on the stage. Some of the folks there are more experienced, but participants are from all walks of life, so be ready for some very random yet exciting twists and turns as the evening progresses. Prizes are given to the 3 most voted stories, to the storytime closest to 5 minutes, to anyone whose story mentions the “secret word” (selected at the start of the show), and to the host’s “phrase of the night”. The winners accumulate points towards the annual story slam, which happens in December.

Seats fill up quickly, so be sure to arrive early, especially if you’re in a big group. And once you’re there, grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy the show!