Inland Valley Storytellers open-mic night

Claremont residents can bring a short story or just listen Monday night at a free Inland Valley Storytellers open mic at the Ginger Elliott Center. (claremont-courier.com) The event is listed in the Claremont Courier community calendar for the week of April 17-25, 2026, and runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd. in Claremont. (claremont-courier.com) Inland Valley Storytellers says its story-swap meetings usually take place on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the historic Garner House site, with the Ginger Elliott Exhibition and Conference Center on the northeast side of the building. (inlandstorytellers.org) That schedule puts this week’s gathering on Monday, April 20, 2026, one day before Tuesday, April 21. The format is simple: people tell short stories in person, and others attend to listen. (inlandstorytellers.org) (claremont-courier.com) The open mic sits inside a long-running local storytelling group rather than a one-off arts event. Inland Valley Storytellers has posted recordings of recent hybrid story swaps from January, February, and March 2026, each starting at 7 p.m. in Claremont. (youtube.com 1) (youtube.com 2) (youtube.com 3) Those recent meetings were small and participatory: the March 16 recording says seven people attended and four stories were told, while the February 16 recording says five people attended and five stories were told. (youtube.com 1) (youtube.com 2) The venue is part of Claremont Heritage’s Garner House complex in Memorial Park. Claremont Heritage lists its office at 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd. and says the Ginger Elliott Exhibition Center and Gallery is directly behind Garner House. (claremontheritage.org) For anyone scanning the calendar for low-cost local events, the pitch is straightforward: show up with a short story, or take a seat and hear what neighbors bring to the room. (claremont-courier.com)