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Julie McElmurry


 Julie McElmurry

I create infrastructure so nonfiction stories thrive. I have created dozens of open mic storytelling nights around North Carolina, setting the stage for hundreds of people to share real life stories. I created a book, Living and Serving in the Way of St. Francis, a collection of writings by 40 young people. I am a self-taught documentary filmmaker and have completed seven short documentaries about women religious (aka nuns) with dozens of women telling their own stories. I love teaching adults, teaching other people how to teach adults and nudging people just enough that they realize that their stories enrich us all. I've heard storytelling called an "empathy rollercoaster" and I love doing what I can to bring more empathy to the surface. I grew up on the campground owned by my parents, in the Great Smoky Mountains siphoning marshmallows from our campers, running amok, swimming and wandering through our woods . I've always loved bringing people together to build community.  


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Julie McElmurry Franciscan Website

EXPERIENCES
    Activity Time Information
    Show Date
    Fri 4 Sep 2026 10:00 AM to 10:50 AM
    Title ShortWalk (or Roll) a Fun Pilgrimage Route
    Venue Convo Table 03
    Experience DescriptionIn the tradition of pilgrimage routes like the Camino of Santiago de Compostela (which I completed in 2002), we'll form a group and take a slow, easy walk (or roll) together. If you need accommodation, we'll make accommodation happen. so please join us The day before our pilgrimage, based on what is going on at the festival, I'll plan our route, stops and some of the people we'll visit with. Plan on laughing, getting to know fellow attendees and finding some unique nooks and crannies as saunter (the word saunter comes from the Latin words for Holy Land. Join us to learn more about that!) Our stops along the way will include planned visits with variety of people, time in quiet contemplation in front of some makeshift roadside \chapels\, sharing tea and oranges (provided) and at the end, we'll all receive our Compostela's, the paper certificate that shows you've completed the pilgrimage. Anyone is welcome to join us at any point along the way. This is a great way to begin some new friendships and connections so you can continue the conversation with each other after our walk.
    Show Date
    Sat 5 Sep 2026 2:00 PM to 2:50 PM
    Title ShortStorytelling Open Mic Show
    Venue UMC
    Experience DescriptionJoin us for our Story Teller's Fun Open Mic Show! There is no pressure to stick your name in the hat, if you'd like to sit back and enjoy the show without sharing a story, that's a perfectly fine way to participate. We invite everyone who wants to put their name in the hat for a chance to come up and share a 3-5 minute true, real life story from their lives. We have produced 30+ Story Teller Open Mic shows in North Carolina. As an open mic show, there are no featured storytellers, no auditions, no judges and no scores. This is a fun, lighthearted time together filled with smiles and laughs. Our goal is for everyone to leave feeling even better than when they first arrived.