Stories at the Hans Christian Anderson Statue

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Consulate General of Denmark in New York

Storyteller performing in front of a crowd at the Hans Christian Andersen statue, with Conservatory Water in the background

Free storytelling returns to the Hans Christian Andersen statue every Saturday this summer.

From June 6 through August 29, 2026, you can catch free storytelling at the Hans Christian Andersen statue near the Model Boat Pond at Conservatory Water, every Saturday at 11:00 AM. The sessions are open to all ages, with stories recommended for children six and up.

Now in its 70th summer in Central Park, the program pairs Andersen's own fairy tales with folktales from around the world, told by a rotating group of professional storytellers. Past seasons have brought celebrity guests to the statue too, including Victor Borge, Eva la Gallienne, Fanny Hurst, and Celeste Holm.

The 2026 schedule is below. For more on the statue itself and its history, see Hans Christian Andersen.

What to Know Before You Go

• The closest park entrance is at 5th Avenue and 72nd Street.
• Stories and storytellers are subject to change.
• If the weather looks questionable on a given Saturday, check hcastorycenter.org before you head over.
• Model sailboat races take place on Conservatory Water most Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Pair them with storytelling for a full morning at the pond.

June Schedule

June 6

Matoaka Little Eagle, with harpist Julia Haines – Dancing Down from the Stars (Tewa myth)

Laura Simms – The Flying Trunk (Hans Christian Andersen)

June 13

Ron Sopyla, with his Table Top Storytelling Theater – The Goat (Russian tale)

June 20

Linda Humes, Sanga of the Valley drummer – The Red Shoes (Hans Christian Andersen)

Andy Offutt Irwin – Polyphemus (Homer)

June 26

Geraldine Buckley – Pedlar of Swaffham (English tale)

Diane Edgecomb – The Nightingale (Hans Christian Andersen)

July Schedule

July 4

April Armstrong – The Teapot (Hans Christian Andersen)

Michele Carlo – The Squeaky Door (Puerto Rico)

July 11

Jean Hale – Sirko and the Wolf (Ukraine)

Ed Stivender – Jack and the Robbers (Scotland)

Judith Shuldiner – The Oak and the Linden Tree (Greece)

Ellen Shapiro – Hans Clodhopper (Hans Christian Andersen)

Robin Bady, emcee

July 18

Megan Wells – The Sandman (Hans Christian Andersen)

Joy Kelly – The Happy Donkey (Haiti)

July 25

Julia Morris – The Emperor's New Clothes (Hans Christian Andersen)

Lu Ann Adams – The Rabbit's Song (Pueblo)

August Schedule

August 1

Heather Forest – The Little Red Hen (English folktale)

Robin Bady – The Three Pumpkins (Jewish tale)

August 8

Regina Ress – The Freedom Bird (Thailand)

Therese Plair – Thumbelina (Hans Christian Andersen)

August 15

Tom Lee – The Wicked Prince (Hans Christian Andersen)

Megan Hicks – The Great Sea Serpent (Hans Christian Andersen)

August 22

Milbre Burch – The Devil and the Fig Tree (original)

Ingrid Norton – The Seven Princesses (Grimm Brothers)

August 29

Laura Simms, with Shem Gulborry on violin – The Ugly Duckling (Hans Christian Andersen)

Ron Sopyla – Sun and Moon Have a Baby (Lithuania)