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  • PROJECT HAIL MARY

    Chautauqua Cinema Chautauqua Cinema

    When science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up alone on a spaceship light years from home he has no recollection of how he got there. As his memory returns...

    $11 – $15

  • Chautauqua Theater Company Presents Best for Baby

    Bratton Theater Bratton Theater

    WORLD PREMIERE By Sharyn Rothstein Directed by Oliver Butler Bratton Theater Best for Baby and its devilishly funny emcee takes audiences inside Johnson & Johnson’s decades-long and still evolving baby...

    $65

  • 6-Week Residency Open Studios

    CVA: Arts Quad

    Join us at the Arts Quad where visitors are invited to step inside our 6-week resident artists' studios, learn more about their processes, and engage with the residents before gathering...

  • 6-Week Residency Exhibition Opening

    CVA: Arts Quad

    We are excited to announce the culmination of the Chautauqua School of Art's 6-Week Residency Program with an opening reception, following our open studios event. Over the course of six...

  • Natalie Merchant

    Cabinet of Wonder Live! A Free Family Concert with Natalie Merchant & Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Musicians

    Stuart Chafetz, Conductor Natalie Merchant, Composer and Vocals American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and activist Natalie Merchant will be in residence at Chautauqua Institution this summer (July 25-August 2, 2026) for Week Five’s programmatic theme, “Art & Artists Against the Odds.” Merchant will give a matinee family-friendly concert performance with a chamber orchestra ensemble of Chautauqua...

    Free Sunday Event (Ticket Required)
  • John Hoppenthaler and Roy Hoffman

    John Hoppenthaler and Roy Hoffman

    Chautauqua Writers' Center Faculty Reading — Featuring John Hoppenthaler (Poetry) and Roy Hoffman (Prose) John Hoppenthaler’s books of poetry are Night Wing Over Metropolitan Area, Domestic Garden, Anticipate the Coming Reservoir, and Lives of Water, all with Carnegie Mellon UP. He has co-edited a volume of essays on the poetry of Jean Valentine, This-World Company...

  • Kriss Miller's headshot

    CHQ Mystic Heart -Church of the Wild -Family Friendly

    Kriss Young Miller and her husband Gary manage the Quaker House. Kriss is a 2022 graduate of Earlham School of Religion with her Master of Arts in Peace and Social Transformation. Kriss is currently a student of Victoria Loorz in the Seminary of the Wild Earth at the Center for Wild Spirituality. She has completed...

    Free Sunday Event

  • New Visitors Orientation

    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 introduce you to the rich history, diverse programs, and unique experiences that Chautauqua offers. Meet fellow newcomers, engage with staff, and learn about the array of cultural, educational, and...

  • View of 3 Taps and the Bell Tower

    Newcomers Reception

    Join us for the Newcomers Reception, a welcoming gathering open to all first-time and new visitors to Chautauqua Institution. This lovely event is a chance to meet fellow newcomers, connect with members of the community, and learn more about all that Chautauqua has to offer. Guests will enjoy light refreshments while taking in the beautiful lake...

  • PROJECT HAIL MARY

    When science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up alone on a spaceship light years from home he has no recollection of how he got there. As his memory returns he uncovers his mission to save the Earth's sun from a mysterious threat, and discovers that an unexpected alien friendship may be the key. "One...

    $11 – $15

  • Chautauqua Theater Company Presents Best for Baby

    WORLD PREMIERE By Sharyn Rothstein Directed by Oliver Butler Bratton Theater Best for Baby and its devilishly funny emcee takes audiences inside Johnson & Johnson’s decades-long and still evolving baby powder scandal. A Big American Play ripped straight from the headlines, this world premiere is equal parts showbiz spectacle and intimate human storytelling, brought to...

    $65

  • GIRLS LIKE GIRLS

    Based on writer/director Hayley Kiyoko's hit single and best-selling novel of the same name and featuring all-new music from Kiyoko, Girls Like Girls is a heartfelt coming-of-age story. Set over the course of one sun-drenched summer, new-girl-in-town Coley (Maya Da Costa) falls in love for the first time while learning to accept herself along the...

    $11 – $15
  • People gathered for a meditation class

    CHQ Mystic Heart – Dhara Kowal, Zen Buddhism Meditation Practice

    Sensei Dhara Kowal- Kowal is Dharma Successor to Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, who sanctioned her as a Zen teacher in 2022 and gave her Dharma Transmission in 2025. As a resident teacher and priest (ordained in 2023), she serves as Co-Director of the Rochester Zen Center, in partnership with Sensei John Pulleyn. In the preceding years,...

    free
  • People gathered for a meditation class

    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...

    free
  • Anna Carter Florence

    Rev. Anna Carter Florence

    The Rev. Anna Carter Florence is the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. She is also currently serving as Co-Director of the Columbia Preachers Studio for Renewal, a Lilly-funded Compelling Preaching grant. Before joining the Columbia faculty in 1998, Florence served...

    Free
  • Ken Burns and Jeffrey Rosen

    Ken Burns and Jeffrey Rosen

    Celebrating the United States semiquincentennial, Chautauqua presents Week Six, “America at 250: In Partnership with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.” The milestone anniversary offers an opportunity to survey the previous quarter millennium – how a collection of British colonies became the world’s pre-eminent constitutional democracy, with major successes, failures and continued struggles along the way –...

    $45

  • Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades & Skills Demonstrations: Blacksmith, Cabinetmaker, Carpenter & Joiner

    The Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades and Skills community uses 18th-century tools and techniques to apprentice in and eventually master more than 20 historic trades and skills. These world-renowned experts not only make goods and provide services to the Historic Area, they also consult and produce for other cultural institutions around the world. Carpenters and joiners...

  • Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades & Skills Demonstrations: Milliner & Journeyman Founder

    The Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades and Skills community uses 18th-century tools and techniques to apprentice in and eventually master more than 20 historic trades and skills. These world-renowned experts not only make goods and provide services to the Historic Area, they also consult and produce for other cultural institutions around the world. Milliners design, make,...

  • Guided Kayak Eco Tour

    Enjoy paddling while learning about ecological info 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...

  • Conversation with Kyle, Interim CEO

    Join us for “Conversations with Kyle”, an open, drop in conversation for members of the entire community. These informal gatherings offer the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with Interim President Kyle Keogh. All are welcome.

  • PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR: BEYOND THE MASK

    This feature-length documentary directed by Frederick Lewis, a professor at Ohio University, illuminates the life and legacy of Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first African American writer to gain national and international fame. Frederick will introduce the film and lead a post-screening discussion. (NR, 115m)

    Free Admission
  • Rosemarie Zagarri

    Rosemarie Zagarri

    Rosemarie Zagarri is Distinguished University Professor and professor of history at George Mason University. A specialist in Early American political and women’s history, she is the author of a numerous articles and several books, including The Politics of Size: Representation in the United States, 1776-1850, A Woman’s Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution,...

    $20
  • Ken Burns

    Masters Series Roundtable: A Conversation with Ken Burns

    Former Chautauqua president Tom Becker will engage Ken Burns in an in-depth conversation about his forthcoming films and projects. A filmmaker for almost 50 years, Burns will expand upon his morning conversation on the Amphitheater stage. An opportunity for Q & A, patrons can ask about Burns' awards, career, research and future plans.

    $49
  • Ruckus

    Chautauqua Chamber Music: Ruckus with Keir GoGwilt, violin

    Experience the electrifying energy of Ruckus, a boundary-pushing baroque ensemble redefining early music performance. With virtuosic flair and a fresh, improvisatory spirit, Ruckus brings 17th- and 18th-century works vividly to life. Their performances blend historical authenticity with modern vitality, creating concerts that feel both timeless and daringly new. Don’t miss this exuberant celebration of baroque...

  • THE EYES OF GHANA

    Directed by Ben Proudfoot and executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. The Eyes Of Ghana follows Chris Hesse, the personal cameraman to revolutionary leader Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana, who was deposed in a coup d'état in 1966.(NR, 93m)

    Free Admission

  • CHQ Travels Reception

    Join Chautauqua Travels for an hour of wine and conversation at 5 p.m. this evening on the porch of the Athenaeum Hotel. This informal travel information session offers an opportunity to learn about upcoming Chautauqua Travels experiences, including journeys to Singapore, South Africa and Santa Fe, while hearing directly from travel experts about each destination....

  • The School of Dance and MSFO performing together in the Amphitheater

    Chautauqua School of Dance with the Music School Festival Orchestra

    Chautauqua School of Dance presents an outstanding mixed repertoire evening of new and established works, masterfully performed by the Music Student Festival Orchestra. This performance will feature the most exceptional young talent in the country. Under the leadership of Sasha Janes, the school continues its long tradition of excellence as a top-tier summer training program...

    $35

  • W.E.B. DUBOIS: REBEL WITH A CAUSE

    This film directed by Rita Coburn and narrated by Viola Davis, explores the life of the pioneering civil rights activist and scholar W.E.B. DuBois, charting his journey from his birth in 1868 during Reconstruction to his death in 1963 on the eve of the March on Washington. Rita will introduce the film and lead a...

    Free Admission
  • People gathered for a meditation class

    CHQ Mystic Heart – Dhara Kowal, Zen Buddhism Meditation Practice

    Sensei Dhara Kowal- Kowal is Dharma Successor to Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, who sanctioned her as a Zen teacher in 2022 and gave her Dharma Transmission in 2025. As a resident teacher and priest (ordained in 2023), she serves as Co-Director of the Rochester Zen Center, in partnership with Sensei John Pulleyn. In the preceding years,...

    free
  • Boats docked near the Miller Bell Tower

    Daily Word Meditation

    Hall of Missions Hall of Missions

    (Programmed by Unity of Chautauqua)

    free
  • Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church

    Catholic Mass

    Hurlbut Church sanctuary Hurlbut Church sanctuary
  • Anna Carter Florence

    Rev. Anna Carter Florence

    Amphitheater Amphitheater

    The Rev. Anna Carter Florence is the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. She is also currently serving as Co-Director of the Columbia Preachers Studio for Renewal, a Lilly-funded Compelling Preaching grant. Before joining the Columbia faculty in 1998, Florence served...

    Free
  • Judi Greenwald

    Judi Greewald, CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance

    Hurlbut Church sanctuary Hurlbut Church sanctuary

    Chautauqua Science Group Weekly Lecture Judi Greenwald is the President and CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance. Ms. Greenwald has over 35 years of energy and environmental policy leadership experience in the public and nonprofit sectors, including the U.S. Congress, the White House, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,...

  • Ken Burns and Jeffrey Rosen

    Ken Burns and Jeffrey Rosen

    Amphitheater Amphitheater

    Celebrating the United States semiquincentennial, Chautauqua presents Week Six, “America at 250: In Partnership with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.” The milestone anniversary offers an opportunity to survey the previous quarter millennium – how a collection of British colonies became the world’s pre-eminent constitutional democracy, with major successes, failures and continued struggles along the way –...

    $45

  • Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades & Skills Demonstrations

    Bestor Plaza Bestor Plaza

    The Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades and Skills community uses 18th-century tools and techniques to apprentice in and eventually master more than 20 historic trades and skills. These world-renowned experts not only make goods and provide services to the Historic Area, they also consult and produce for other cultural institutions around the world. Carpenters and joiners...

  • Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades & Skills Demonstrations: Milliner & Journeyman Founder

    Oliver Archives Center Oliver Archives Center

    The Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades and Skills community uses 18th-century tools and techniques to apprentice in and eventually master more than 20 historic trades and skills. These world-renowned experts not only make goods and provide services to the Historic Area, they also consult and produce for other cultural institutions around the world. Milliners design, make,...

  • Smith Wilkes Hall

    Sigrid Jakob: “Fruiting Bodies and Big Ideas: a Citizen Science Adventure”

    Smith Wilkes Hall Smith Wilkes Hall

    Bird, Tree & Garden Club lunchtime lecture series Sigrid Jakob is a freelance marketing strategist during the day and mycophile in her spare time. She’s an avid member and president of the New York Mycological Society, a mushroom club that goes out and observes fungi in New York City’s parks 52 weeks a year. She...

  • People gathered for a meditation class

    CHQ Mystic Heart – Dhara Kowal, Zen Buddhism Meditation, seminar and practice

    Hall of Missions Hall of Missions

    Sensei Dhara Kowal- Kowal is Dharma Successor to Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, who sanctioned her as a Zen teacher in 2022 and gave her Dharma Transmission in 2025. As a resident teacher and priest (ordained in 2023), she serves as Co-Director of the Rochester Zen Center, in partnership with Sensei John Pulleyn. In the preceding years,...

    free
  • CHQ Dialogues logo

    CHQ Dialogues

    Presbyterian House Presbyterian House
    Free
  • Manisha Sinha

    Manisha Sinha

    Hall of Philosophy Hall of Philosophy

    Manisha Sinha is the Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut and immediate Past President of the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. She received her Ph.D from Columbia University where her dissertation was nominated for the Bancroft Prize. She was nominated to the OAH Distinguished Lecture Series in 2003....

    $20
  • CHQ Dialogues logo

    CHQ Dialogues

    Everett Jewish Life Center Everett Jewish Life Center
    free

  • TIME & WATER

    Chautauqua Cinema Chautauqua Cinema

    Climate Change Initiative-Special Filmmaker Event! Free Admission! Icelandic writer and filmmaker Andri Snær Magnason returns to Chautauqua Cinema with his new film Time & Water, a vibrant elegy which preserves vanishing glaciers, departed grandparents, family memories, and flowing time in his personal archives, transforming loss into a time capsule. "This is a beautiful film. It's...

    Free Admission

  • Masters Series Masterclass: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation presents Becoming History with Stephen Seals, Nation Builder James Lafayette and Fifes & Drums Experience: Tuesday

    Norton Hall Norton Hall

    During "Becoming History with Stephen Seals, Nation Builder James Lafayette", learn how Colonial Williamsburg’s Nation Builders bring the voices of the past to life with a behind the scenes look into the art and craft of interpretation and how they move from research to scripts, to performance, to impact. The story of America is full...

    $49
  • Children's School on the Amphitheater stage for Old First Night

    Old First Night

    Amphitheater Amphitheater

    Old First Night is Chautauqua’s birthday party, and all are invited! In the early years of Chautauqua, the season's first night was not in late June but early August. Therefore, Old First Night (OFN) is a celebration of the original first night of the season at Chautauqua. This event begins with music from Thursday Morning...

  • Puppy Pals Live

    Puppy Pals Live – The Action-Packed Comedic Stunt Dog Show

    Amphitheater Amphitheater

    As Seen on America's Got Talent, Puppy Pals Live is a family fun action-packed show where adopted and rescued dogs perform spectacular stunts and breathtaking feats. Watch as Puppy Pals Live leads the puppies and audience through challenging and comical tricks as the pooches show everyone who is really boss! Full of canine stunts and...

    $15

  • PURSUING LIGHT – THE BILL STRICKLAND STORY

    Chautauqua Cinema Chautauqua Cinema

    Director Karen Somers' documentary Pursuing Light follows the life and legacy of Bill Strickland, whose philosophy of "hope through opportunity" has impacted thousands of lives. This film traces his personal journey and examines how arts education, workforce training, and environments of beauty can help individuals transcend circumstances and achieve their fullest potential. Introduction by Kwame...

    Free Admission
  • Sunrise kayaking

    Sunrise Paddle – Kayak/SUP

    Sports Club, Waterfront

    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.

  • People gathered for a meditation class

    CHQ Mystic Heart – Dhara Kowal, Zen Buddhism Meditation Practice

    Presbyterian House Presbyterian House

    Sensei Dhara Kowal- Kowal is Dharma Successor to Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, who sanctioned her as a Zen teacher in 2022 and gave her Dharma Transmission in 2025. As a resident teacher and priest (ordained in 2023), she serves as Co-Director of the Rochester Zen Center, in partnership with Sensei John Pulleyn. In the preceding years,...

    free
  • Boats docked near the Miller Bell Tower

    Daily Word Meditation

    Hall of Missions Hall of Missions

    (Programmed by Unity of Chautauqua)

    free
  • Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church

    Catholic Mass

    Hurlbut Church sanctuary Hurlbut Church sanctuary
  • People gathered for a meditation class

    Movement and Meditation with Monte Thompson

    Hall of Philosophy Grove

    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...

    free
  • Anna Carter Florence

    Rev. Anna Carter Florence

    Amphitheater Amphitheater

    The Rev. Anna Carter Florence is the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. She is also currently serving as Co-Director of the Columbia Preachers Studio for Renewal, a Lilly-funded Compelling Preaching grant. Before joining the Columbia faculty in 1998, Florence served...

    Free
  • David Blight and Tiya Miles

    David W. Blight and Tiya Miles

    Amphitheater Amphitheater

    Continuing Chautauqua’s weeklong commemoration of “America at 250,” two of the country’s pre-eminent historians present a mainstage conversation about the moral foundations of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and how they have been interpreted and reinterpreted throughout American history. David W. Blight is Sterling Professor of History and Director of the Gilder Lehrman...

    $40

  • Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades & Skills Demonstrations: Blacksmith, Cabinetmaker, Carpenter & Joiner

    Bestor Plaza Bestor Plaza

    The Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades and Skills community uses 18th-century tools and techniques to apprentice in and eventually master more than 20 historic trades and skills. These world-renowned experts not only make goods and provide services to the Historic Area, they also consult and produce for other cultural institutions around the world. Carpenters and joiners...

  • Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades & Skills Demonstrations: Milliner & Journeyman Founder

    Oliver Archives Center Oliver Archives Center

    The Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades and Skills community uses 18th-century tools and techniques to apprentice in and eventually master more than 20 historic trades and skills. These world-renowned experts not only make goods and provide services to the Historic Area, they also consult and produce for other cultural institutions around the world. Milliners design, make,...

  • CHQ Dialogues logo

    CHQ Dialogues

    Presbyterian House Presbyterian House
    free

  • Guided Kayak Historic Tour

    Sports Club, Waterfront

    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...

  • Brandon Dillard

    Hall of Philosophy Hall of Philosophy

    Brandon Dillard is Director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the iconic home and historic plantation in Virginia, where he has worked for sixteen years. At Monticello, he leads interpretation efforts and works on exhibits, programs, and training. As a public historian, he focuses on best practices for encouraging connection between...

    $20.00

  • Masters Series Masterclass: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation presents Becoming History with Katharine Pittman, Nation Builder Martha Washington and Fifes & Drums Experience: Wednesday

    Norton Hall Norton Hall

    During "Becoming History with Kathatine Pittman, Nation Builder Martha Washington", learn how Colonial Williamsburg’s Nation Builders bring the voices of the past to life with a behind the scenes look into the art and craft of interpretation and how they move from research to scripts, to performance, to impact. The story of America is full...

    $49

  • WICKED FOR GOOD

    Chautauqua Cinema Chautauqua Cinema

    The conclusion to Jon M. Chu's 2024 Wicked is "a soaring musical triumph filled with standout performances, extraordinary craft, and an emotional core that is sure to delight fans young and old." -Linda Marric, HeyUGuys "From its director to its cast, the movie is a testament to diversity (species included) as a common good as...

    $11 – $15
  • People gathered for a meditation class

    CHQ Mystic Heart – Therapeutic Gong Meditation with Kim Hehr

    Hall of Christ: Sanctuary

    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...

    free
  • Susan Lichtman

    CVA Lecture Series: Susan Lichtman, School of Art Faculty

    Hultquist 101 Hultquist 101

    The Chautauqua School of Art proudly welcomes Susan Lichtman as a member of our 2026 visiting faculty. Susan Lichtman will participate in the School’s Summer Lecture Series, sharing insights and practices with our artistic community. Susan Lichtman is a figurative painter of domestic spaces, working out of her home studio in southeastern Massachusetts. She graduated...

  • Alonzo King LINES Ballet performing in yellow and orange outfits

    Alonzo King LINES Ballet

    Amphitheater Amphitheater

    Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the unique artistic vision of award-winning choreographer Alonzo King. Since 1982, LINES Ballet has collaborated with noted composers, musicians and visual artists from around the world to create performances that alter the way we look at ballet today....

    $55 – $65

  • WICKED

    Chautauqua Cinema Chautauqua Cinema

    Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, and pop superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda who is gilded by privilege and ambition, director Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the broadway hit musical is "a wickedly good time at the movies." -Max Weiss, Baltimore Magazine "Smart, sweet, and sassy in equal measure,...

    $11 – $15
  • Sarah James

    The Sarah James Trio

    Roe Green Theater Center

    Chautauqua’s own award-winning singer-songwriter and recording artist Sarah James from Scottsdale, AZ, brings her trio to our late-night series at the Roe Green Theater. From Pittsburgh, PA, accompanying Sarah will be notable guitarist and musical artist Doug Edgell and Aaron Majiros on bass and keys. Sarah James has been a staple at 3Taps here at...

    $25