About This Event
Varta – a storytelling festival inspired by South-Asia is a global storytelling and literary festival that aims to celebrate delightful stories from across the world. This event has previously traveled to Austin, Ann Arbor, and Dehradun. In its 5th edition in 2026, the theme is “weave” where we talk about merging heritage identities with lived experiences to create stories. Varta Storytelling Festival Focus: Weave x Lived Experiences Austin, DEC 5, 2026, 1:30-4:30pm RSVP (Entry is FREE) Program Details for Varta here Varta, derived from Vartalaap means conversation in Hindustani. The festival seeks to create spaces where families can immerse themselves in South-Asia inspired storytelling traditions including folk art, dance, music, and literature. Storytelling serves as a living archive of a culture’s richness. Stories celebrate a community’s values, history, and identity. In 2026, the focus is on “weave” and the festival is reimagined to have in-person, virtual, digital experiences with a festival finale at the end of the year. Weave will celebrate the unique mingling of heritage identities with lived experiences celebrating joyful stories. In its inaugural year, Varta engaged 3,0