Oral Artist Preshenda Hooked by Storytelling

As an eight-year-old, Preshenda listened in wide-eyed wonder to her grandfather’s tale of a fishing trip in deep waters, when his hook became tangled in a mermaid’s hair.

“I still wonder,” Preshenda says, “if that mermaid was real, or just good old-fashioned storytelling!”
Preshenda studied political science in college — but she changer her life’s direction when she decided that her family’s heritage of storytelling had to be carried on.

Her grandfather’s gift of tale-spinning was matched by fabulous stories from other family members that called out wide-eyed wonder and curiosity in generations of children.

Preshenda has expanded that audience beyond her family, to embrace thousands of children across decades of storytelling.

And at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, Preshenda will delight children, parents and grandparents with her storytelling at the “Corral” Stage in the children’s ride area at this year’s Cypress Festival.
Families with young children — and anyone who’s young at heart and open to wonder — will want to take time to be captured by the spirit of story!

This year’s event is the 32nd annual Cypress Festival, the largest single-day community festival in Orange County. Held at Oak Knoll Park in Cypress, the day’s events start early with a City-sponsored 5k/10k run/walk that starts and ends just west of the park. The Kiwanis wield spatulas to serve a five-dollar pancake breakfast inside the Cypress Community Center on the grounds of the park.

Winners of a kid’s coloring contest will be announced during the Festival. Chili and salsa cooks will sweat over hot stoves to prove who has The Bestest Hottest Stuff. Proud car owners will show off classics, muscles, and roadsters. More booths that you can shake a stick at will allow vendors of all sizes and non-profits of all stripes to meet and greet Festival visitors.

The Festival grounds open at 9:00 a.m. Oak Knoll Park is located at 5700 Orange Ave. in Cypress. For more information, visit http://www.cypressfestival.com/.

To learn more about Preshenda, visit http://www.storytellingwithpreshenda.com/.

Photo Caption: Miss Preshenda will delight children, parents and grandparents with her storytelling at the “Corral” Stage in the children’s ride area at this year’s Cypress Festival.