Sandbar Storytelling Festival (SSF), in partnership with Saint Mary’s University, Continuum, and Bloedow Bakery, invites the public to the FIRST EVER Rochester-area storytelling event! Returning to Southeast Minnesota after joining SSF for the 2025 festival, Sufian Zhemukhov will be presenting stories from his experiences with life and love, using his sardonic wit and observational humor to emphasize the shared experiences of our lives.
Sufian Zhemukhov is an award-winning author and performer. His solo shows have been featured at the 2025 National Storytelling Festival, off-Broadway, and nationwide. NPR described his show Flirting Like an American as “a show about romance, culture, and one immigrant’s story.” A Fulbright scholar and “Einstein visa” recipient, Sufian draws on his personal experience as a first-generation immigrant and a college professor, which might be funnier than it sounds. His storytelling has earned the 2020 JJ Reneaux Emerging Artist Award from the National Storytelling Network, and his academic research received the 2019 Best Book Award from the International Studies Association.
This event will be held at Saint Mary’s University’sRochester Campus, 2900 19th St. NW, Rochester, from 2 to 4 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be available from the award-winning Bloedow Bakery. This event is free to the public.
Sandbar Storytelling Festival presents storytelling performances which celebrate and preserve the power and pleasure of our varied cultural traditions and human experiences and promote the art of storytelling for all ages. The 2026 festival will be held from Oct.7-11 at Saint Mary’s University’s WInona Campus and throughout the city of Winona. Sandbar Storytelling Festival operates with support from: Winona Community Foundation, Elizabeth Callender King Foundation, and the Southern Minnesota Arts Council, and is made possible by funding through the Minnesota Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.
