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Upward Together: A Celebration of Stories
Laguna Town Hall
3020 Renwick Ave.
Elk Grove, CA
March 30, 2025
6:00 – 10:00 PM
Join us for our 2025 fundraising event! Four storytellers will take the stage to share stories in an unforgettable evening of celebration and connection. We’ll also have a silent auction with over a dozen prizes, food trucks, and drinks bar. Storytellers for the evening include Diana Medina, John Aubert, Ximena Ospina, and Barbara Todd.
Since our founding, Capital Storytelling has impacted over 5000 lives through our events, classes and workshops. Much of our programming is free to our community. We do this work because we believe in the power of true storytelling to drive social change and to transform people and communities. Our fundraiser will allow us to continue this work and keep many of our events and workshops free and reduced in price.
Tickets are priced at different tiers. All tiers include free bottled water and hors d’oeuvres. General Admission is $50. If you want to go above and beyond to support our mission, consider purchasing a “Big Supporter” Ticket ($100) or a “This Matters and We Need It” ticket ($250). You can also purchase an entire table ($1250) that seats 8 people and have your own party seated together with free drinks and storytelling near the front for the best seats in the house. Anyone can participate in the Silent Auction and purchase drinks at our cash bar and the food trucks outside!
Join us in raising funds to continue this work—and come connect and celebrate with us in a community event! Dress is casual. Come as you are.
To purchase a ticket and find out what each ticket provides, click the button below.
Doors open at 6 PM. Silent Auction begins at 6 PM. Storytelling showcase will begin at 6:30 PM. Cards accepted at bar and silent auction. If you are not able to attend, but still want to donate, click the donation button below.
If you have questions, please email us at info@capitalstorytelling.com. We will send guests information about parking via email prior to the event and any other information needed to prepare for the evening!
Ticket Pricing
General Admission – $50
General Admission gets you into the event where you’ll be able to sit at a table to enjoy the stories for the evening. You’ll also get free hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic drinks.
“Big Supporter” Ticket – $100
If you purchase a Big Supporter ticket, you’ll have entrance into the event and hors d’oeuvres. When you purchase at this level, you are saying “I know what kind of impact storytelling makes and I’m here for it.”
“This Matters and We Need It” Ticket – $250
This ticket level says “I know true storytelling matters and can change people’s lives and impact our society.” With this ticket you’ll have entrance into the event, free hors d’oeuvres, 1 free drink, and a small gift to show our appreciation. We will also list you on our website as a major supporter and you’ll be recognized at the event. Thank you for your generosity. Your ticket money is going to support social change, community building, and life-transformation through our programs including our Immigrant Storytelling Program and Story Ambassadors Program.
VIP Table – $1250
Maybe you want to bring your whole posse to the event and have your own table near the front of our event space. When you purchase a VIP table you are reserving an entire table (which seats 8 people) right at the stage for the best seats in the house. Each person at your table will get 1 free drink ticket and our emcee will recognize you and your table during the event by thanking you or your company for reserving a VIP table. Each person will also receive a small gift as a token of our appreciation. This is a good option for businesses or corporations who want to elevate their name and also have a fun activity outing for their workplace group.
Child’s Ticket – $25
Our event is child-friendly! Bring your whole family. Children under 12 years of age enter for $25. Infants under the age of 1 year enter for free.
Storytellers for the evening include…
Diana Medina
Storyteller
Diana is a first-generation Mexican-American poet and educator born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Her mission in life is to use her gift with words to bring more clarity, compassion, and comic relief to the world. She’s a seasoned storyteller as well as a published author, with her debut poetry collection, Healing Out Loud, published in 2020. She's also our Storyteller in Residence at Capital Storytelling!
Barb Todd
Storyteller
Barb started her American journey after relocating from Canada for a nursing job 30 years ago. Moving from Vancouver, British Columbia to Modesto, California was a bit of a shock to the system, but it launched her into an incredible life journey of marriage, children, new cities and a career in healthcare. Barb loves making connections through storytelling. “There is nothing more magical than laughing out loud, tearing up or getting goosebumps as someone shares their story and a deep, human connection is made.” She took a class in 2020 and then knew she wanted to be a part of the magic created through Capital Storytelling.
John Aubert
Storyteller
John is a Professor of Geography and Environmental Sciences at American River College. After realizing that his family and friends were finally getting tired of hearing his stories, he was ecstatic to discover that he could tell them to strangers! He has taken the stage at numerous Moth Story Slams and has been a featured storyteller for Capital Storytelling, Story Collider, RISK!, Armchair Anonymous, Six Feet Apart Productions, and Artists Standing Strong Together. John was a Story Ambassador in 2022 and is now our Assistant Events Producer, as well as a storytelling instructor and coach. He currently hosts Capital Storytelling’s Do Tell, a monthly open mic for true, personal stories.
Ximena Ospina
Director of the Immigrant Storytelling Program
Dra. Ximena Ospina is a proud immigrant, educator, and storyteller. She is dedicated to healing and strengthening our global community through restorative justice, innovation, compassion, and collaboration—storytelling has been a grounding practice for this work. In May 2024, she earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership, with her dissertation, “The Latinx/e Student Cuentos of Rupture to Nurture: Understanding the Study Abroad Reentry Experience through Generational Dreaming,” focusing on student cuentos [stories]. As a dynamic educational consultant, Ximena leverages her expertise in storytelling, coalition building, equitable practices, and impactful dialogues to drive transformative change. For her, storytelling has been a path to self, liberation, and cultural preservation....
FAQs
Question: Where do I park?
Answer: Street parking is free around the venue! You can find parking on Vaux Ave., Peets St., Renwick Ave., Nolan St., and E Mumford Ct. There is also a parking lot in front of a small strip mall (but will be a little bit of a walk from the venue). If you want to park in that lot, it can be found in the shopping area at Laguna West Plaza and Main Street Plaza. Check out our map below at the bottom of this FAQs section!
Question: What should I wear to the event?
Answer: The event is casual! You may wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Come as you are.
Question: Will there be food? And are there veggie and vegan options?
Answer: Yes! We will provide free appetizers / hors d’oeuvres inside the event venue. We will ensure that some of the hors d’oeuvres are vegan! We have also hired three food trucks that will be behind the venue on W Mumford Ct. Two of these have vegetarian and vegan options! Hors d’oeuvres will be free with your ticket! The food trucks are for payment– but a percentage of the money will go to our fundraiser.
Question: How do I get into the event? Can I just show up and pay at the door?
Answer: We are encouraging our attendees to purchase a ticket before hand to help us know how many people to prepare for! That said, yes– you can also still buy at the door with cash or credit. If you purchase a ticket before the event (highly encouraged!) then we will ask that you bring a copy of the ticket (either a hard copy OR digital copy!) so that we can check you in at the door!
Sponsors
