Storytelling at the Grafton 1-2-3

Thursday night was Trick-or-Treat in Grafton, West Virginia. What better night for storytelling at the newest old place in town, the Grafton 1-2-3 Coffeehouse? Housed in a renovated 1890 building in the old part of Grafton, the 1-2-3 opened on October 8th.

We arrived around 7pm, and there were a few people already in the coffeeshop. The place is warm and inviting, lots of chairs and tables, and lots of great pastries and other food--not to mention wonderful coffee drinks. I ordered decaf and it was perfect, flavorful and strong.

By 7:15 the restaurant was full and people were spilling over to the outside patio area that is still under construction. A makeshift wood stove was blazing, and that kept back the chill night, at least for those lucky enough to be close. The downside of being close, of course, was the smoke from the open front stove, but that was a trade I was happy to make. I was surprised and pleased to see two storytelling friends arrive--Jo Ann Dadisman and June Riffle tell as a tandem group called The Mountain Echoes; they don't live too far from Grafton, but coming out on such a cold night was truly appreciated.

At 7:30 it was time to start. I was very glad to have my little Pignose amp with me to compete with the traffic and trains. Downtown in any town can be pretty noisy. I wished I had my big amp with me, but the Pignose did a satisfactory job. The crowd had grown; not only was the coffee shop full, but there were around 40-50 people braving the cold night to listen to stories. The audience was all ages, from little ones to adults, but they were all in the mood for scary stories.

It was a lot of fun, and I hope I get to go back sometime and tell there again. When the planned glassed-in patio and fireplace are completed, the space will be perfect for storytelling and music. As it is, it's a friendly, warm place to visit.

Congratulations, MK! It's a perfect little coffeehouse (and great coffee!).