For many, the traditional Chautauqua Season will come to an end with Three Taps of the Gavel on Sunday, Aug. 28, 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.

Elderhostel / Road Scholar

Chautauqua has been a host site for Elderhostel programs since the early 1990s when two off-season programs for approximately 40 people were held at Bellinger Hall. Much has changed since then, most recently the name—now Road Scholar—a name which represents the opportunity to explore one’s 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 ten programs to over 1,000 participants from May to October with in-season summer programs offered during Weeks Three and Weeks Five through Eight. Lecture themes include: "21st Century Women: The Road to Social and Economic Growth," "The U.S. Economy: Beyond a Quick Fix" and many more.

For more information, visit the Road Scholar website or contact Laurie Paterniti-Stanton at (716) 357-6262 or lpaterniti@ciweb.org

Chautauqua’s Fall Festival / “Quilting Around Chautauqua”

SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2011

Chautauqua’s Fall Festival / “Quilting Around Chautauqua” began only six 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.

For more information, visit the Athenaeum website or contact the Athenaeum at 1 (800) 821-1881

The New Horizons Band Camp

OCTOBER 2-6, 2011

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. For more information, contact Christine Hawkins at (716) 357-6389 or e-mail chawkins@ciweb.org

Farm to Table Dinner

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

The historic Athenaeum Hotel is proud to present and host the Fourth Farm to Table event in an elegant setting overlooking Chautauqua Lake on Saturday, May 14, and the fifth event on September 10. Guests will be guided through a five course dinner prepared with all local ingredients provided by local producers. Each course will be pared with a local wine or beer. Come learn and enjoy what culinary delights the Chautauqua County region has to offer. 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 locally sourced Chautauqua breakfast the following Sunday morning.

For more information, visit the Athenaeum website or contact the Athenaeum at 1 (800) 821-1881