Beyond the Season

For many the traditional Chautauqua season will come to an end with three taps of the gavel on Sunday, August 29th but this doesn’t mean that the Chautauqua experience is over. The early autumn months provide the perfect environment for a different Chautauqua experience and over the past decade we have seen an ever steady increase in the numbers of people who enjoy the many program opportunities that are available.

On the final Sunday of the summer season we will begin what we informally call our “week ten” at Chautauqua when international prosecutors from across the globe will convene for the fourth time in as many years to take part in the International Humanitarian Law Dialogs - Reflections on Crimes Against Peace: Aggression in the 21st Century. This event, presented by the Robert H. Jackson Center, Syracuse University and a host of other sponsors is open to the public. There are programmed events on Sunday evening and all day on Monday at Fletcher Hall, culminating with an afternoon declaration and a Chautauqua Lake dinner cruise aboard the Summerwind cruise boat.

If singing is your passion the Encore Chorale Camp at Chautauqua begins on Monday, August 30th and continues through Friday, September 3rd. In its third year this program brings together adults, age 55 and over, to spend five days at Chautauqua. They will rehearse daily with conductors Jeanne Kelly, founder of Encore Creativity and Dr. Barry Talley, retired Director of Musical Activities at the United States Naval Academy. Singers will sing challenging repertoire including oratorio choruses from Haydn’s Grosse Orgelmesse, and Handel’s Messiah, Appalachian Folk Songs, spirituals and a medley of The Music Man specially arranged for the Encore Chorale Camp. Also offered will be daily movement/dance classes, vocal technique classes and sectionals. Evenings will be filled with professional recitals and relaxation. A public grand finale Encore Chorale concert will be performed on September 3rd at 2:00 P.M. in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall.

Labor Day weekend has become a tradition for many families who enjoy the Chautauqua grounds and the annual Labor Day Festival in Mayville Park where music, crafters, food vendors and fireworks celebrate the end of summer. As one of the participating communities in the “Light Up the Lakes” event, the Sunday evening Chautauqua shoreline is lined with flares at 10:10 p.m. and fireworks at Mayville and Midway Park are visible from the Bell Tower.

Chautauqua has been a host site for Elderhostel programs since the early 90’s when two off-season programs for around 40 people each took place at Bellinger Hall. Much has changed since then, most recently the name, now Road Scholar, a name which represents the opportunity to explore ones mind and discover the world through thought-provoking adventures in learning. It is easy to understand why Chautauqua has enjoyed such a positive success with this partnership in senior programming. Having received the designation as a Premier Provider in 2007, Chautauqua will offer nine programs to over 1000 participants from May to October with in-season summer programs offered during weeks 1, 5 and 9. Chautauqua Style Mix programs will be offered in September both at Bellinger Hall and the Athenaeum Hotel. The month of October finishes our year with two Foreign Service programs where participants listen to lectures given by former Ambassadors and Foreign Service representatives.

The 13th Annual Jazz at Chautauqua takes place on September 16-19th and has become one of the foremost jazz festivals in the northeast. You have not experienced a weekend of jazz music like this until you have experienced Jazz at Chautauqua! The Athenaeum dining room provides the most intimate of settings where more than 30 musicians will provide over thirty hours of music between Friday and Sunday afternoon. Some of the world's most renowned mainstream jazz artists from Australia, California, Florida, New Orleans, San Antonio, Portland, New York City and Ann Arbor assemble for a weekend of memorable music celebrating the great composers of the '20s/'30s/'40s - the lasting , lovely melodies of the most productive decades of The Popular American Song. Musical sets will be presented over the weekend on mornings, afternoons and evenings in solo, duet, trio, band and vocal formats. The likes of Dan Barrett, Rebecca Kilgore, The Faux Frenchmen and Vince Giordano with his Nighthawks will once again grace the stage.

Chautauqua’s Fall Festival “Quilting Around Chautauqua” (September 24-26) began only five years ago but has become one of our fall season’s most well attended events drawing as many as 300 overnight guests and as many as 1000 day visitors from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. A celebration of the quilting art form with some 10 regional quilting guilds display as many 500 quilts in various locations including the Hultquist Center, Refectory, Bellinger Hall and Turner Community Center. Prominent lectures take place on Saturday and Sunday along with hands on workshops and vendor exhibits. Area crafters will offer their creations in Bestor Plaza and an antique car club will display their cars near the Athenaeum Hotel on Saturday afternoon.

The New Horizons Band Camp has now been a part of the fall Chautauqua landscape for over fifteen years. Dr. Roy Ernst, Founder of the New Horizons Band says, “The goal of New Horizons groups is to create an entry point to group music-making for adult beginners and a comfortable re-entry point for adults who played music in school and would like to resume after long years of building careers and raising children. In its early days at Chautauqua the camp had between 50 and 75 attendees, now it routinely draws 150 plus each year. Bellinger Hall offers comfortable lodging, great buffet meals and participants benefit from Chautauqua’s performance and practice venues in Lenna Hall, McKnight Hall, Fletcher Hall and the Turner Community Center. This year’s camp is in session from October 3rd – 8th.

On Saturday, October 16th the Athenaeum Hotel will once again feature a Farm to Table Dinner. In collaboration with the Field and Fork Network of Western New York diners enjoy a five course dinner prepared with all local ingredients provided by local producers such as organic cage free chicken from Good Grass Farms of Ashville, NY and Freeman Homestead Pork from Stockton, NY. Early arrivals can simply enjoy the Chautauqua landscape, a walking tour of the grounds or time at the Bookstore. The event begins with hors d oeuvres and cocktails at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner where each of five courses expertly paired with wines and at least one micro brewed beer. Presented with a narrative and audio visual backdrop, diners will be given an opportunity to meet many of those farmers who have supplied products and learn more about the mission of bringing locally grown products to the table. Overnight guests will enjoy a hearty Chautauqua breakfast and a farm tour will be offered on Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.

TO REGISTER FOR A PROGRAM OR REQUEST ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• International Humanitarian Law Dialogs: contact Carol Drake at the Robert H Jackson Center for Justice - (716) 483-6646 or cdrake@robertjackson.org
• Encore Chorale at Chautauqua: contact Jeanne Kelly at Encore Creativity - (301) 261-5747 or Jeanne.Kelly@encorecreativity.org
• For information about all Road Scholar programs at Chautauqua: contact Laurie Paterniti-Stanton at (716) 357-6262 or lpaterniti@ciweb.org
• The 13th Annual Jazz at Chautauqua: contact the Athenaeum Hotel @ (800) 821-1881
• Chautauqua Fall Festival “Quilting Around Chautauqua” contact the Athenaeum Hotel at (800) 821-1881
• New Horizons Band Camp: contact Christine Hawkins at (716) 357-6389 or chawkins@ciweb.org
• Farm to Table Dinner: contact the Athenaeum Hotel at (800) 821-1881 or bstanton@ciweb.org