The Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast once again hosts the Boldfaced Liars' Showdown Saturday, Jan. 22, at the center, located at 131 South Main St., Laurinburg.

Judges will be drawn from North Carolina and surrounding states. The chief judge will be national storyteller Suzi Whaples, from West Virginia. In the evening she will be the featured storyteller.

"Suzi Whaples' storytelling is like a breath of fresh, sweet mountain air, refreshing your mind, renewing your spirits, making you feel giddy and childlike, all of this in the >breath of a single tale well told," says national storyteller Lyn Ford.

"The Bold-Faced Liars' Showdown is a hoot ... a fun-filled day and evening of laughter when lying through your teeth is an art form," says a spokesman for the center. "Any of you with a tall tale to share has time to dust off your whoppers, or pen a new prevarication, and practice telling your tale. Then you come to the showdown and vie for one of three trophies and cash prizes. Everyone who enters receives a certificate and a great time."

Storytellers with imaginative lies, 16 years old and above, from across the Southeast, are invited to enter the competition. The judges will select the first, second and third place winners. At the evening concert, prizes will be awarded to the three finalists and certificates will be given to all competitors. The winning "liar" and the people's choice "liar" will perform their winning lies during the evening entertainment.

The first 15 liars who register to compete are invited to lunch before the competition begins.

In the afternoon the showdown competition is from 2 to 5 p.m. The evening awards and concert begin at 7 p.m.

Afternoon only or evening only tickets are $10. Afternoon and evening combination tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. For information or to reserve tickets to the event, go online to www.storyartscenter.org or call (910) 706-3266. For competition information, registration forms can be found on the website.

For further details, e-mail brenda@sfoc.info or call (910) 706-3266.