Events for August 19, 2026
Week Eight: Reimagined Food Festival
Savor a week of elevated culinary experiences with our reimagined Food Festival. With only 80 packages per week, enjoy intimate moments across the grounds, from two Masters Series classes and...
Sunrise Paddle – Kayak/SUP
Enjoy the beauty of the lake during our sunrise paddle. This is not a guided tour but an opportunity to rent a kayak, SUP or canoe for an enjoyable hour at sunrise. Reservations accepted one day in advance at the Sports Club. Contact sportsclub@chq.org with questions.
CHQ Mystic Heart – Larry Terkel, Judaism/ Kabbalah Meditation
Larry Terkel, along with his wife Susan, founded The Spiritual Life Society, an inter-denominational center for spiritual and holistic studies, where he teaches yoga and meditation and gives weekly talks. As its licensed minister, Larry has officiated at over 2,000 weddings for couples of all faiths. He is also the founder of Temple Beth Shalom,...
Episcopal Holy Eucharist
Catholic Mass
Movement and Meditation with Monte Thompson
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...
Chautauqua Prays for Peace though Compassion
The Rev. Natalie Hanson
The Rev. Natalie Hanson has been a longtime presence at Chautauqua; with her husband, the Rev. James Paul Womack, pastor of Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church, she has co-hosted the United Methodist Missionary Vacation Home at Chautauqua for several years. Hanson has also served Chautauqua as interim senior pastor in 2022, crafting, planning and...
Service of Blessing and Healing
Brian Frank
Brian Frank is the founder and general partner of FTW Ventures, bringing decades of experience in building transformative technology that impacts the way people work, play and live. In 2015, Frank turned his attention to how technology can improve the lives of every person on the planet by building a better food system. He raised...
Taste Caravan
A moving feast of regional flavor. Taste Caravan transforms Bestor Plaza into a rotating showcase of the area’s most exciting restaurants and food trucks, offering guests the opportunity to sample 15–20 different regional establishments each week through thoughtfully prepared small bites. Food trucks will be available: Monday–Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (Lunch) Tuesday & Friday, 4:30–8:00...
Women In Ministry
Twelve Step Meeting
Designing Civic Infrastructure for a Circular Food Economy: Panel Discussion
Big flavor meets big ideas in Bestor Plaza. Enjoy a dynamic lineup of live culinary demonstrations and discussions featuring chefs, artisans, and community partners from across the region and beyond. These engaging sessions spotlight innovative techniques, cultural traditions, sustainability practices, and the stories behind the food we love. Held daily during the Taste Caravan, each...
CHQ Dialogues
Guided Kayak Historic Tour
Enjoy paddling while learning about historic sites along the shores of Chautauqua Institution 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 $12 per person for the tour guide. Limited spots so please reserve one day before the...
English Lawn Bowling Tips
Karen Florini
Karen Florini title of her talk is "Sheep May Safely Graze: Ruminations on Food and Climate Change". Karen is a strategic advisor with C-Change Conversations, which educate audiences throughout the country about how climate change will impact them personally, why there is urgency to address it and how to forge consensus for action. She also...
Taste of Chautauqua Featuring Mike Thornton & The Midnight Quartet
A celebration of food, art, music, and family. Taste of Chautauqua invites guests to experience the spirit of the region through an afternoon that brings together regional cuisine, craft beverages, live music, and local art—all in the heart of Bestor Plaza. Designed for guests of all ages, this vibrant community gathering showcases the incredible culinary...
I SWEAR
Set in Scotland, this is the true life story of John Davidson (Robert Aramayo). Diagnosed with Tourette's at 15 and targeted as 'insane' by his peers, he struggled with a condition few had witnessed. Campaigning for better understanding and acceptance of the condition of Tourette's as an adult, he finds his life's purpose and accepts...
Masters Series Masterclass: Good Food Belongs to People, Not a Landfill
At the intersection of food insecurity and climate change lies one powerful opportunity: food rescue. Food waste and food insecurity are often treated as separate crises — yet they stem from the same structural inefficiencies in our food system. In the United States, up to 40% of food produced goes uneaten, even as 1 in...
UU Cultural Ethics Series: Roger Doebke
“CERTAINTY IS NOT A VIRTUE” Roger Doebke holds an MA in Religion from Meadville Lombard Theological School and is the immediate past president of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Chautauqua, a position he held for many years. In addition to leading the everyday activities of the UU Fellowship, his warm and inviting ministerial presence at...
CHQ Dialogues
CHQ Mystic Heart – Therapeutic Gong Meditation with Kim Hehr
Kim Hehr is a lifelong Chautauquan and a certified level 2 teacher of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. She has been a yoga and meditation practitioner for 30 years and has been teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation for 25 years. A retired hospice nurse, she is presently the coordinator of the CHQ Mystic Heart Meditation Program. Kim...
MARY OLIVER: SAVED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD
If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America's unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself—and her readers—to...
Unity’s Positive Path for Spiritual Living
Programmed by Unity of Chautauqua
CHQ Dialogues
Preacher Lawson
Preacher Lawson is a stand-up comedian, actor, and creator known for his high-energy storytelling and physical, joy-driven comedy. He first gained national attention as a finalist on America’s Got Talent and has since built a global fanbase through touring, social media, and multiple comedy specials. Preacher headlines clubs and theaters across the world, selling out...
I SWEAR
Set in Scotland, this is the true life story of John Davidson (Robert Aramayo). Diagnosed with Tourette's at 15 and targeted as 'insane' by his peers, he struggled with a condition few had witnessed. Campaigning for better understanding and acceptance of the condition of Tourette's as an adult, he finds his life's purpose and accepts...