The tents are up, and the tellers are arriving in town for this weekend's second annual Charleston Tells Storytelling Festival at Wragg Square in downtown Charleston.

From folk tales to ghost tales, the audience will be charmed as they listen to tall tales and music from some of the best national and local storytellers during a weekend packed with performances. Entertained with stories designed to inspire, amuse and delight, festival-goers will embark on adventures as the performers reminisce about the carefree days of childhood, delve into amusing slice of life moments and look back on moments in history.

The actual Festival starts Friday night at 7 p.m. with performances by Davis, Ferlatte, Novak and Thomason. These award-winning tellers travel the world capturing the imagination and mesmerizing audiences with their stories. They are accomplished artists with books and multiple recordings featuring their work.

On Saturday, there are three stages of concurrent performances starting at 10 a.m. and lasting throughout the day, including one Family Tent specifically with activities and stories geared toward children. The Festival wraps up Saturday night with two concurrent performances starting at 7 p.m., one designed for families and one featuring ghost stories under the oaks of Wragg Square.

In addition to the four national tellers, the Festival features several top regional and local performers, including Chetter Galloway, Martha Reed Johnson, Tim Lowry, Linda Stout, Carolyn "Jabulile" White and puppeteer Becky Becker. Special musical performances include the Dark and Bitter acoustic blues duo, The Bluestone Ramblers, and Hector Qirko's Imaginary Band. On Saturday, festival-goers can sample delicacies from three local food trucks – Dulce, Hello My Name is BBQ and Geechee Island.

Presented by Charleston County Public Library and funded with donations and grants, the goal is to have the Festival grow into the next annual signature event in the Lowcountry.

Storytelling plays a critical role in the Lowcountry's heritage, which makes Charleston the perfect place to host a Festival that celebrates this art form. For example, if it weren't for storytelling and the tradition of one generation passing along stories to the next, the culture, language and crafts of the Gullah-Geechee community would be lost.

Tickets for Charleston Tells can be purchased at the door. Prices are $15 each for either Friday or Saturday night, $25 for the daytime performances Saturday or $40 for a Weekend Pass. Children under 12 are admitted free. For the full schedule and to read bios of the performers, visit the Charleston Tells web page or get the latest information on the Charleston Tells Facebook page.