On Dec. 9, Cincy Stories will host the Price Hill People’s Celebration to cap off its residency in Price Hill and celebrate the community they’ve gotten to know over the past four months. The event will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater; the event is free, and attendees will be able to hear stories and interviews, enjoy catered food and converse with neighbors from all corners of Price Hill.
Cincy Stories strives to use storytelling as a way to encourage those from diverse backgrounds to come together and connect. Its goal is to explore, research and connect the residents of all 52 of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods.
The success of its residency in Walnut Hills attracted the attention of Price Hill Will, which reached out to Cincy Stories.
Shawn Braley, co-founder and executive director of Cincy Stories, says that Price Hill is both interesting and important to Cincinnati because it comprises 10 percent of the city’s population. The contrasts of a growing population of Guatemalan immigrants, battles with addiction, locals who have lived in the neighborhood for decades and new growth gives Price Hill a “level of tension.”
Braley explains that Cincy Stories' goal is to not just tell stories, but to have an impact. "Storytelling makes people aware that everyone is human. Sharing stories gives them a chance to hear each other."
Price Hill's diverse stories range from a profile on Mayor John Cranley to an interview with Aaron Head, a recovering heroin addict now working with men's group homes. Other stories feature Buddy LaRosa, founder of LaRosa’s Pizzeria; local singer/songwriter Tray Walker; and Margherita Gonzalez, a woman who survived an arduous upbringing and immigrated to the states to give her daughter a better life.
Cincy Stories also worked with local organizations like Holy Family Church, which recently hosted an event called Turkeys and Tamales, where everyone brought food from their own cultures to share; the infamous Price Hill Chili, a Price Hill staple; and some of the newer businesses moving to the neighborhood.
“We call it a celebration because we want to highlight the people,” Braley says. He's looking forward to Saturday’s event because it will bring together the beautiful and diverse population of Price Hill all at once.
The event will also kick off Cincy Stories' online content, which will include 60 stories in video and podcast form that will be released gradually over the coming weeks.
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