Recent and Upcoming Events

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Recent and Upcoming Events * denotes a public event - if you're nearby, please come join us!

* 6 p.m. Friday, November 27
Park Ridge Public Library
20 S. Prospect Avenue
Park Ridge, IL 60068
90 minutes of "Yuletide Favorites" as part of the Park Ridge Holiday Open House! Very exciting - the day after Thanksgiving!

* 7 p.m. Saturday, November 28 &
* 2 p.m. Sunday, November 29
Beatniks on Conkey
Coffeeshop & Theatre
418 Conkey Street
Hammond, IN
The full-length theatrical version of the one-man show kicks off the Christmas season with two shows on Thanksgiving weekend! $10 for adults and $5 for children, refreshments included pre-show and intermission - bring the family!
"Beatniks will host Grant Fitch 'the Story Teller' on Thanksgiving weekend to present his wonderful one man rendition of the Christmas Carol... So bring your children and your inner child to enjoy this enchanting evening of live entertainment - you won't believe there is only one man on stage as Grant acts out this classic tale. Call 219-852-0848 for reservations or go to beatniksonconkey.com for more info."

6 p.m. Wednesday, December 2
First United Methodist Church
Crown Point, IN 46307
Sharing the one-man "Christmas Carol" with my friends at First United. Dinner is at 5:30, I'll start about 6:15. Sorry, this is a private event. But if you go to First United, boy, are you in for a treat!

* 6:30 p.m. Thursday, December 3
Calumet City Public Library
660 Manistee Avenue
Calumet City, IL 60409
Silly Santa Stories! "How Murray Saved Christmas," "Olive, the Other Reindeer," the Grinch, and much much more, plus Christmas sing-alongs!

* 5:30 p.m. Sunday, December 6
St. Paul Episcopal Church, 1101 Park Drive, Munster, IN
I can't believe this will be my 5th year there! And this time, St. Nicholas' appearance will actually be on St. Nicholas Day. The demand keeps growing, and so does the crowd - playing St. Nicholas for the church's annual St. Nicholas Dinner, reading the story, giving gifts, making friends. And this time, they're throwing it open to the public!

1:30 p.m. Sunday, December 13
Minister of Peace United Church of Christ
Merrillville, IN
Another performance of the one-man "Christmas Carol"! I love this time of year -

2:30 p.m. Monday, December 14
Eads Elementary School
Munster, IN 46321
Returning to Eads for Silly Santa Stories for kindergarten and first grade classes. Ho ho ho!

6:30 p.m. Monday, December 14
Merrillville Duneland Business and Professional Women
Storytelling for the December meeting - some Laugh Out Loud Favorites! (And if your group is looking for speakers for its meetings, why not give me a call?) Photos from this year's LCSO concerts, courtesy of Stephen Zurawiec Earlier This Year . . .

3 p.m. Sunday, January 25
Elston Theater
Michigan City, IN
For this "community festival" concert by the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra, they were looking for a storyteller. They found one! Titled "The American Songbook," the all-ages-friendly concert features medleys of favorite Cohan and Rodgers & Hammerstein tunes, sing-alongs of "Working on the Railroad," "Rubber Duckie," "Day-O" and more, "Happy Birthday" as it might have been composed and performed in various parts of musical history, and a performance by the nationally-recognized Michigan City Soul Steppers. For my part, I'm leading several of the sing-alongs, introducing the segments of the "Birthday Variations," and even telling one of my favorite stories! A wonderful day out for the family - especially since the kids can get hands-on pre-concert with some of the instruments.
(EDIT: Want to see some pictures from this great event? Just go here!

Monday, January 26
Green Hills Public Library
Palos Hills, IL 60465
Giving a short presentation of myself, with a couple of my favorite stories, to a meeting of youth services librarians from Chicago's South Suburban libraries. They're discussing ideas for their summer reading programs - and I'm one of several guests invited to advertise my services to them.
(EDIT: It worked! I'm booking several local libraries for this spring and summer! Very glad I went ...)

2:30 p.m. Monday, February 9
Eads Elementary School
Munster, IN 46321
Storytime for first-graders - one of my favorite ages! This calls for some silly stories ...

7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7
La Porte Civic Auditorium
1001 Ridge St. Laporte, IN 46350
Performing again with the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra. For the "A Brave New World" concert, I'm narrating the "Liberty for All" piece, with speeches by Washington, Lincoln, and Kennedy, as well as playing a variety of cellphones for the "Cell Phone Concerto." One very moving, and one very funny!

6 p.m. Thursday, March 19
Lincoln Elementary School
Calumet City, IL
An evening of Dr. Seuss stories for families and kids of all ages - celebrating the 105th anniversary of Seuss' birth month.

Friday, March 20
Wolcott School
Thornton, IL
Wolcott has kids from kindergarten to 8th grade, and I'm going to tell stories to all of them! Some Dr. Seuss, some St. Patrick, and who knows what else ...

Wednesday, March 25
Orchard View Elementary
2770 Leffingwell Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
My first storytime in Michigan - first of many, I hope! Sharing some favorites with the kids from K through 6th at Orchard View.

Monday, March 30
Protsman Elementary School
1121 Harrison Avenue
Dyer, IN 46311
Another spring, another visit to one of my favorite schools - storytelling all day to all grades. Can't wait!

2 p.m. Friday, April 17
Crestwood Public Library District
4955 W 135th St.
Crestwood, IL 60445
Celebrating Library Week with a family storytime featuring many of my favorites. You're invited! Stop on by!

Tuesday, April 21
Westmore Elementary
340 S. School St.
Lombard, IL 60148
A full day of storytimes for all classes, and returning for an evening performance at Family Reading Night! I love Westmore.

Thursday, May 28
Private Home, Schererville, IN
Sharing a few Laugh-Out-Loud Favorites for adults at a charitable fundraiser, to continue their good work of supplying dictionaries to third graders. Maybe O. Henry, maybe Mark Twain ... maybe the Ambitious Caddy , the Story-Teller or Uncle Podger . We'll see!

2 p.m. Monday, June 8, 2009
Niles Public Library District
6960 Oakton St.
Niles, IL 60714
Helping to kick off the ADULT Summer Reading program! The theme is "Read on the Wild Side," as it is with some local children's summer reading programs - but this storytime will be less "Sam & the Tigers," more "The Lady, or the Tiger" - less "Where the Wild Things Are," more "The Most Dangerous Game." Other events are scheduled - I understand a Japanese KOTO musician is playing later in the afternoon - so stop by! It should be lots of fun.

2 p.m. Thursdays, June 18 and July 9
Glenwood School for Boys and Girls
Glenwood, IL 60425
It wouldn't be summer without my visits to Glenwood School - they're great kids with great staff.

Sunday, June 28
Washington Park
Michigan City, IN
Another concert with the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra - leading singalongs of "Rubber Duckie" and others, plus another performance of "Liberty for All," which I absolutely loved performing with them back in March.

2 p.m. Saturday, July 11
Acorn Public Library District
15624 S. Central Ave.
Oak Forest, IL 60452
Summer Reading Program! The theme is "Be Creative" so I'll be sharing stories of painters, musicians, and gardeners, as well as creative ways to get into trouble, and out.

4 p.m. Monday, July 13
Green Hills Public Library
8611 W 103rd
Palos Hills, IL 60465
Summer Reading Program! The theme is "Read on the Wild Side" so I'll make sure to bring some of my favorites about Tigers, Dinosaurs, and Wild Things.

Sunday, September 6
Sand Creek Country Club
Chesterton, IN
More fun with the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra and "Liberty for All"! Sorry, this concert is a private affair.

6:30 p.m. Thursday, September 17
Lansing Public Library
2750 Indiana Ave.
Lansing, IL 60438
A family storytime of picture books, stories and songs to celebrate National Library Card Sign-Up week.

6:30 p.m. Monday, October 5
Buckley Homestead Park, Lowell, IN
Returning to tell some more scary stories around a campfire for a meeting of the Lowell Garden Club. Let's see, what haven't I told them yet?

PS Another great storytime! This time we shared
"The Man of Science" by Jerome K. Jerome
"The Cats of Ulthar" by H.P. Lovecraft
"Dumb Supper"
"The Stranger" by Ambrose Bierce
"The Way It Is Now"
"The Spider and the Fly"
... which saves Bierce's "Boarded Window," Saki's "Interlopers" and "Black Hair" for next time ...

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 21
St. Mary School, 405 E Joliet
Crown Point, IN 46307
Spooky stories and Halloween fun for this month's meeting of Cub Scout Pack 45! My first Scout meeting - this should be pretty cool...

* 7 p.m. Friday, October 23
Farmhouse Museum
399 Biesterfield Rd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Sharing the Creepy Classics in a historic farmhouse. Could be an ideal setting! I wonder which stories I'll tell?

* 6 p.m. Monday, October 26
Lansing Historical Society
at the Lansing Public Library
2750 Indiana Avenue
Lansing, IL 60438
Returning to the Lansing Historical Society for more Creeeeepy Classics! They were a great audience last year ... this storytime is open to all, so come on out!
PS: Another fabulous time! This year, we shared "The Cask of Amontillado" to celebrate Poe's 200th birthday, along with Lovecraft's "In the Vault," Jack Ritchie's "Shatter Proof," and more!

* 8 p.m. Monday, October 26
Thornton Historical Society
Thornton, IL 60476
Speeding from Lansing to Thornton for my other favorite Historical Society, and more Creepy Classics! They've heard me for Christmas, but not yet at Halloween . . .
Audience Pix!

1:15 p.m. Tuesday, October 27
Allied Arts Meeting
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Creepy Classics for the Allied Arts of Arlington Heights!
Dramatic readings of the best of 200 years of spooky writing, from classic horror to modern suspense � stories of ghosts and gunmen, monsters and madmen, and deals with the devil: Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, �The Monkey�s Paw� and more! Join us for tales of the macabre brought to chilling life by storyteller Grant Fitch.

* 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 28
Crown Point Community Library
214 South Court Street
Crown Point, IN 46307
The "Ghosts & Giggles" storytime returns to Crown Point! Halloween picture books, scary-funny "boo" stories, and more - kids, dress in costume for extra fun!

* 7 p.m. Thursday, October 29
Homer Township Public Library
14320 W. 151st Street
Homer Glen, IL 60491
Homer Glen got the date closest to Halloween because they were first to call. First come, first served! (In fact, I got this gig the day after Halloween LAST year!) It's going to be another great season for the Creepy Classics -

Tuesday, November 3
Purdue North Central
A performance of Poe's "The Raven" for a class discussion and - dare I say - dissection?

2:30 p.m. Saturday, November 14
Entertaining at a children's birthday party!

* Saturday, November 14
Another concert with LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra - more brand-new pieces, like the "Young Person's Guide to Music." More on this soon.

Events Archive

If you�re wondering
what else Grant will do, would do, and has done, check out the calendars for 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008