Join us for an exclusive preview performance by YYDC, offering a glimpse into SOMEWHERE, the next installment of Yue Yin's planned trilogy following NOWHERE. Previously previewed at Chautauqua and performed in 2023 at Chelsea Factory in NYC, SOMEWHERE showcases Yue's unique dance style, emphasizing the trademarked FoCo Technique, which focuses on generating, guiding, and transforming...
NOTE: THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT -- The 80th-anniversary observance of D-Day is an all too vivid reminder of a time when the fate of Europe hung in the balance and the day was won by months of detailed planning, devotion to duty and bravery in battle by Allied forces in the largest amphibious landing...
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference – Opening Keynote Lecture & Reception KWAME ALEXANDER is a poet, educator, producer and #1 New York Times bestselling author of 40 books, including This is the Honey, Why Fathers Cry at Night, An American Story, The Door of No Return, Becoming Muhammad Ali (co-authored with James Patterson), Rebound,...
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Presents a Poetry Lab with Nikki Grimes Join award-winning writer, Nikki Grimes, in this Master Class taking students outside of their free-verse comfort zone by exploring tanka and golden shovel poetry. This Master Class will focus on narrative verse as a storytelling tool, an art applicable to crafting novels...
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Presents the Picture Book Lab with Ann Marie Stephens Plotting Your Picture Book: From the first line to the last word, discover techniques for plotting out your picture book. We will discuss tips on how to leave room for the illustrator and find ways to choose the most irresistible...
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Presents a Memoir Lab with Will Schwalbe New York Times bestselling author and editor Will Schwalbe shares advice on structure, narrative strategies (including how to create suspense), and the often-thorny topic of writing about family and friends. The talk includes stories from his own work and books he's edited--and...
Everything Happens, Live: An Evening with Safiya Sinclair and Kate Bowler A Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Featured Speaker Event SAFIYA SINCLAIR was born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She is the author of the memoir How to Say Babylon, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Kirkus Prize,...
Meet the 2024 Young Artists at Lenna Hall! Join us and hear their voices here first, before the start of the season!
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Presents a Memoir Lab with Kwame Alexander Study the craft of writing memoir (and spilling your tea) with Kwame Alexander. In this interactive session, Kwame will share techniques for getting to the heart of your story, including what makes a life memoir-worthy, where to begin and end, different formats...
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Presents a Poetry Lab with Jillian Hanesworth Join Buffalo Poet Laureate, Jillian Hanesworth, to learn how to write for social change, build a community narrative and challenge listeners to think honestly and critically about the changes we need to create a just society. JILLIAN HANESWORTH is an EMMY nominated...
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Presents a Fiction for Children Lab with Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith Join bestselling authors Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith for a deep dive into character creation and story structure. Stories have the most meaning when readers care about the people at the heart of the narrative....
A Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Special Event featuring Cynthia Leitich Smith in conversation with Stephine Hunt Author Study: Indigenous Representation in Children’s Literature CYNTHIA LEITICH SMITH (Muscogee citizen) is an acclaimed NYTimes bestselling author, the 2024 Southern Mississippi Medallion Winner, an American Indian Youth Literature Award winner, and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate....
A Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Special Event Pitchapalooza is American Idol for books (only kinder and gentler). Twenty writers will be selected at random to pitch their book. Each writer gets one minute—and only one minute! Dozens of writers have gone from talented amateurs to professionally-published authors as a result of participating in...
Kwame Alexander Writers' Lab & Conference Closing Keynote Lecture with Kate Bowler In the face of AI, we have never felt more necessary and more useless as writers. But our authenticity is the lifeblood of creativity. In this lecture, historian Kate Bowler reflects on the contested modern history of what it means to be authentic....
The 2024 Chautauqua Lake Conference will provide an update on important research on Chautauqua Lake. SUNY Fredonia and The Jefferson Project will return this year to share some of their research results and plans for the upcoming summer. We will hear from SUNY Oneonta and North Carolina State University regarding their research on lake vegetation....
During the season stop by Bestor Plaza to try something new! We won't have the Food Festival during Week Nine this year, but we have food trucks and tents throughout the season. Kosher Food Tent (bagels, lox, knishes, blintzes and more): 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, weekly Yakisoba’s (noodles, dumplings and more): Thursdays &...
Multiple Grammy® nominee Martina McBride has sold over 23 million albums and will open the 150th Anniversary season at Chautauqua on June 22! With 15 major music awards, 14 Gold Records and nine Platinum honors, Martina McBride has captured the hearts of audiences around the world for more than 25 years. The four-time CMA Female...
Discover the Beauty and Charm of Chautauqua Every Sunday! Experience the serene beauty and cultural richness of Chautauqua at no cost on Free Sundays! This is the perfect opportunity for families, friends, and solo adventurers to explore everything Chautauqua Institution has to offer. Parking is free until 2 p.m., every Sunday. Avoid the lines by...
Episcopal Holy Eucharist
Episcopal Holy Eucharist
United Church of Christ Worship Service
Unitarian Universalist Service
Weekly Sunday School Program for Ages 3-11. Children of all faiths and no faith are welcome.
Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Born and raised in Los Angeles and Jesuit priest, from 1986 to 1992 Fr. Boyle served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights. Dolores Mission was the poorest Catholic parish in...
Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across the grounds!
Due to predicted severe thunderstorms the afternoon of Sunday, June 23, we are canceling this instance of the tent re-enactment and will soon announce the rescheduled date. The 1870's era tent is up at Miller Park and it will remain there through Week Two. After that, it will be moved to the butterfly garden next...
Children's School is open for free play! We would like to extend a special invitation to our families with children under 2 years old for this special afternoon play session but welcome all to join! Children are required to be accompanied by an adult or caregiver (16+) for this event. On Sundays from 1-2 p.m.,...
150th Anniversary StoryCorps Archive: The Cohen Multimedia Studio is available for recording your StoryCorps conversation for inclusion in Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary Archive. Book your recording time online here. Available times will be highlighted on each day’s schedule with a white box. Each recording session is designed for two people to be in conversation. Think of...
Chautauqua opens the 2024 season with The Soldiers' Chorus of The U.S. Army Field Band! This 29-member chorus travels throughout the nation and abroad, and is a mainstay of PBS's annual National Memorial Day Concert, inspiring patriotism and garnering a reputation for musical excellence.
"Passion for Paper" exhibition Opening Reception June 23, 3-5pm. Exhibition runs June 23 - July 21. Enjoy this exhibition featuring seven talented artists who work with paper. Working with paper requires a special set of skills and a steady hand as it is known to be unforgiving. Passion for Paper, a thematic exhibition, features seven...
"The Art of Robert Villamagna" exhibition Opening Reception June 23, 3-5pm. Exhibition runs June 23-July 18. Opening reception June 23, 3-5pm. Robert Villamagna grew up in the Rust Belt in Ohio and started making art as a young child with materials he found in his home. He now passionately works with colorful found materials, especially...
Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden 2024 exhibition Opening Reception June 23, 3-5pm. Featuring outdoor sculptures by Dan Droz, Carin Mincemoyer, and Lydia Musco.
"Off the Walls" exhibition Opening Reception June 23, 3-5pm. Exhibition runs June 23 – August 20. Off the Walls is an exhibition featuring a dozen contemporary artists who create small sculptures, and are at the peak of their careers, showing nationally and internationally. As the title implies, all works will be hung from the ceiling...
"Holding Space: Woven Works" Exhibition Opening Reception June 23, 3-5pm. Exhibition runs June 23 - August 4. This exhibition is a nuanced exploration into woven structures including jacquard weaving, pulled warp tapestry, and basketry. While distinct in style and perspective, these works collectively address notions of containment, transformation, and connection to place through abstraction. They...
Chautauqua Writers' Center Faculty Reading – Week One Resident Faculty Writers RUTH FORMAN is an acclaimed poet, author, and friend of words. She is the award-winning author of best-selling children’s books Curls, Glow, Bloom, Ours, One, and Like So, children’s book Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon, and poetry collections We Are the Young Magicians,...
Kriss Miller
Join us for lemonade and cookies at the Orientation for New Chautauquans, where we warmly welcome you to our vibrant community. This event is designed to acquaint you with the rich history, diverse programs, and unique experiences that Chautauqua has to offer. Meet fellow newcomers, engage with staff, and learn about the array of cultural,...
"A Journey Through the Holy Land in the times of Jesus"
Join Hands, Disciples of the Faith
Episcopal Holy Eucharist
Monte Thompson was a professional dancer, and also spent years as a restauranteur. His life was spent on his feet. Now retired, he is interested in continuing to be able to move easily and gracefully while using breathing and stretching techniques to help quiet his mind and prepare him to face each day with purpose...
Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Born and raised in Los Angeles and Jesuit priest, from 1986 to 1992 Fr. Boyle served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights. Dolores Mission was the poorest Catholic parish in...
Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham is one of America's most prominent public intellectuals, and he returns to the Chautauqua Lecture Series to open a week dedicated to tracing “The Evolution of the Modern Presidency” and, more importantly, to launch Chautauqua’s 2024 Summer Assembly Season and the celebration of the Institution’s 150th anniversary....
During the season stop by Bestor Plaza to try something new! We won't have the Food Festival during Week Nine this year, but we have food trucks and tents throughout the season. Kosher Food Tent (bagels, lox, knishes, blintzes and more): 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, weekly Yakisoba’s (noodles, dumplings and more): Thursdays &...
Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across the grounds! In case of inclement weather, all Play CHQ events will be held at Sheldon Hall of Education, Room 202.
Presenters Kathy Hurst and Stuart Blersch will lead a community discussion on our Week One CLSC selection, The First Ladies: A Novel, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
Enjoy learning more about the lake and water-shed conservation efforts while paddling along during this hour-long guided kayak tour. The tour begins and ends at the Sports Club. The cost is for rental of single or tandem kayak plus $10 per person for the tour guide. Limited spots so please reserve one day before the...
Ilana Kaufman’s work sits at the center of Jewish community, racial equity, and justice, is anchored by the voices and experience of Jews of Color, and is focused on grantmaking, research and field building, and community education. As a guest on NPR’s All Things Considered and Code Switch, with pieces featured in eJewish Philanthropy and...
The Mirari Brass Quintet, founded in 2009, is known for its engaging and eclectic performances that blend joyful collaboration and innovation across centuries and genres. The group has performed extensively in the United States, establishing connections with audiences through lively and polished performances, and has expanded its reach internationally with a successful tour in China....
Celebrate Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary with the Play CHQ team. In this session, you will have the opportunity to build models showing your dreams for Chautauqua's next 150 years. Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across...
Sound Meditation from An Artist and Poet
CVA Lecture Series: Anina Major, "Holding Space" exhibiting artist. Anina Major (she/her) is a visual artist from the Bahamas. Her decision to establish a home contrary to the location in which she was born and raised motivates her to investigate the relationship between self and place as a site of negotiation. By utilizing the vernacular...
150th Anniversary StoryCorps Archive: The Cohen Multimedia Studio is available for recording your StoryCorps conversation for inclusion in Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary Archive. Book your recording time online here. Available times will be highlighted on each day’s schedule with a white box. Each recording session is designed for two people to be in conversation. Think of...
"A Journey Through the Holy Land in the times of Jesus"
Come celebrate Pride Month and the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitors Center with a journey through the past 50 years of Pride Anthems. From Donna Summer and Queen to George Michael, Erasure, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and beyond, these essential songs transport us from disco to the present day — guaranteed to get you...