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Howl Story Slam Live! | Saratoga Springs | Caffè Lena | November 12, 2025

Wednesday, November 12, 2025
7:30 PM 9:30 PM

Caffè Lena 47 Phila Street Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866 United States (map)

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Howl Story Slam Live! Presented by NCPR and Adirondack Center for Writing at Caffè Lena

Saratoga Springs Howl Story Slam November 12, 2025

Join the next NCPR Howl Story Slam live event on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, in Saratoga Springs at Caffè Lena.

What’s a story slam? It’s a live, open-mic event where participants tell a true, personal story in 5 minutes, with no notes or props, to a specific theme.

This spirited storytelling competition is open to all participants. Storytellers take the stage to tell a true story. Judges (2-3 audience members) score the stories, and at the end of the night, a winner is announced. All winners are invited to ACW's annual Grand Slam at the end of the year.

Go Your Own Way NCPR Howl Story Slam Live

These events foster a sense of community through shared experiences and perspectives, with a primary focus on the art of live storytelling rather than serious competition.

The Howl Story Slam team is a partnership between Adirondack Center for Writing and North Country Public Radio, two organizations that believe in the power of stories.

Theme: Go Your Own Way

The theme for this event is Go Your Own Way — stories of roads less taken, independence, dancing to your own tune, or just plain old getting lost. The first 15 storytellers to sign up will be included in the lineup.

All are welcome to attend. If you are able, a suggested donation of $10 is appreciated to support the storytelling season for the Howl team.

For more information, visit the Adirondack Center for Writing website. See their tips for storytellers as well.

NCPR’s The HOWL Podcast.

The HOWL Podcast, hosted by Ethan Shantie, features true stories, told with no notes, recorded live on stages all over the North Country. It’s the best stories from Howl Story Slam Live events at venues in your neighborhood (find out more about those below), now on your phone, tablet, or laptop.

What happens when you join a dating site on a dare? Or when you accidentally take your dog’s medication? Or when your best friend tags along on a camping trip even though he never should have set foot in the woods? Each of those tales is paired with stories from Ethan's life—about Bigfoot, cooking on car engines, and many other strange encounters.

Hear it all on the HOWL Podcast from NCPR and the Adirondack Center for Writing.

About Caffè Lena.

Caffè Lena presents extraordinary music and performance space in an intimate setting steeped in history. It is widely recognized as the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. The Library of Congress calls Caffè Lena “An American treasure,” and The GRAMMY Foundation recognized the venue for its essential contributions to the development of American music.

In addition to their performance schedule, the Caffè Lena School of Music carries on the folk tradition of music as a social pastime. Students, both children and adults, learn in small, friendly groups, master a repertoire of enduring folk songs, and write some new classics, too.

For more information, visit Caffè Lena’s website or Facebook page.