So just what is a Chautauqua? Think of it as a roving beehive of American culture that evolves at every stop. From the moment you arrive you’ll be immersed a panoramic mish-mash of arts, carnivalesque performances, sciences, education, practical skills demonstrations and even laundry tips the NOTC website describes as “the predecessor of today’s NPR (and) TED talks.”
The Chautauqua tradition was born more than 140 years ago on the idyllic shore of Chautauqua Lake (hence the name) in upstate New York. Held in large, brown tents and often in a beautiful, natural setting, the Chautauqua movement was a cultural sensation.
By 1924 it blossomed into 1,000 circuits traveling to 10,000 towns and drawing 40,000,000 spectators. When a Chautauqua rolled in for a week, people flocked to see everything from dances to Shakespeare to lectures by such famed figures as Susan B. Anthony and Mark Twain. The Chautauqua tradition faded in the 1930s as radio and television grew in popularity.
Today the tradition continues with the New Old Time Chautauqua. It was founded in 1981 by health care practitioners, educators and performers including
Dr. Patch Adams and the
Flying Karamozov Brothers. The NOTC tours revive the Chautauqua spirit, and bring live entertainment and educational workshops to rural communities. This year, they are collaborating with Washington State Parks and their nearby communities.
“The idea of the Chautauqua-Parks partnership is to renew ties and to foster goodwill between the towns and their local state parks,” said Paul Magid, founding member of the NOTC and The Flying Karamazov Brothers.