Experience Planner
Plan your perfect Chautauqua visit.
To plan your day, week or season at Chautauqua, select the dates of your visit below and choose your interests. Our experience planner will then provide personalized recommendations to make your time with us as rewarding as possible. We hope to see you soon!
Explore the events and destinations listed on our website and click the "star image" to save your favorites and create your Chautauqua itinerary.
Explore events and destinations here. Use the "star" to save your favorites to create your itinerary.
June 28, 2026 @ 10:45 am Week One (June 27–July 4)
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Amphitheater | CHQ Assembly
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde serves as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. In this role, she serves as spiritual leader for the congregations and Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties that comprise the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair and president of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.
Budde is committed to the spiritual vitality and public witness of the congregations in her care. She is proud to serve a diocese committed to justice and mercy. She cherishes her friendship with interfaith leaders in the Washington Metro Area and their joint endeavors in service to the common good.
Budde was consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in 2011. Prior to her election, she served for 18 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. Her sermons have been published in several books and journals. Budde is the author of three books including the New York Times bestseller How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, which has been adapted as a Young Adult book, We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments as well as a picture book for young children, I Can Learn to Be Brave, forthcoming in July 2026.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Rochester, graduating magna cum laude. She earned both a Master in Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary.
June 29, 2026 @ 9:15 am Week One (June 27–July 4)
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Amphitheater | CHQ Assembly
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde serves as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. In this role, she serves as spiritual leader for the congregations and Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties that comprise the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair and president of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.
Budde is committed to the spiritual vitality and public witness of the congregations in her care. She is proud to serve a diocese committed to justice and mercy. She cherishes her friendship with interfaith leaders in the Washington Metro Area and their joint endeavors in service to the common good.
Budde was consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in 2011. Prior to her election, she served for 18 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. Her sermons have been published in several books and journals. Budde is the author of three books including the New York Times bestseller How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, which has been adapted as a Young Adult book, We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments as well as a picture book for young children, I Can Learn to Be Brave, forthcoming in July 2026.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Rochester, graduating magna cum laude. She earned both a Master in Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary.
June 30, 2026 @ 9:15 am Week One (June 27–July 4)
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Amphitheater | CHQ Assembly
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde serves as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. In this role, she serves as spiritual leader for the congregations and Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties that comprise the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair and president of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.
Budde is committed to the spiritual vitality and public witness of the congregations in her care. She is proud to serve a diocese committed to justice and mercy. She cherishes her friendship with interfaith leaders in the Washington Metro Area and their joint endeavors in service to the common good.
Budde was consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in 2011. Prior to her election, she served for 18 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. Her sermons have been published in several books and journals. Budde is the author of three books including the New York Times bestseller How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, which has been adapted as a Young Adult book, We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments as well as a picture book for young children, I Can Learn to Be Brave, forthcoming in July 2026.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Rochester, graduating magna cum laude. She earned both a Master in Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary.
Alyse Nelson
Alyse Nelson is president and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. As the co-founder, she has been with the organization for more than 28 years, also serving as vice president and senior director of programs before assuming her current role in 2009. Under Nelson’s leadership, Vital Voices has directly served nearly 50,000 women leaders across 188 countries. Several of these leaders will join Nelson as part of a panel on Vital Voices’ work as part of Chautauqua’s opening week on “Icons and Instigators: Women Who Change the World.”
Previously, Nelson served as deputy director of the State Department’s Vital Voices Global Democracy Initiative and worked with the President’s Interagency Council on Women at the White House. She is a regular speaker on leadership and global women’s issues, having spoken before the United Nations General Assembly, the Clinton Global Initiative, Fortune Most Powerful Women, Oxford Student Union, Forbes 30/50 and Women in the World, among others. She has conducted leadership training with women at the Central Intelligence Agency, DFID, the UK Development Agency, Fortune 1000 companies and at numerous conferences.
Nelson is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and served as an official Observer for the World Bank’s We-fi Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs. She serves on advisory boards of Chime for Change and Global Citizen. Fortune named Nelson one of the 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and she was featured as one of Newsweek’s 150 Women Shaking the World. She is a recipient of the 2022 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award, and, in 2018, Apolitical named her one of the most influential people in global gender policy. She was also honored in 2015 with a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award.
Nelson is the author of the best-selling book Vital Voices: The Power of Women Leading Change Around the World, and the editor of Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower. She has been featured in various international and national media. She holds a B.A. from Emerson College and an M.A. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
July 1, 2026 @ 9:15 am Week One (June 27–July 4)
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Amphitheater | CHQ Assembly
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde serves as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. In this role, she serves as spiritual leader for the congregations and Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties that comprise the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair and president of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.
Budde is committed to the spiritual vitality and public witness of the congregations in her care. She is proud to serve a diocese committed to justice and mercy. She cherishes her friendship with interfaith leaders in the Washington Metro Area and their joint endeavors in service to the common good.
Budde was consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in 2011. Prior to her election, she served for 18 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. Her sermons have been published in several books and journals. Budde is the author of three books including the New York Times bestseller How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, which has been adapted as a Young Adult book, We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments as well as a picture book for young children, I Can Learn to Be Brave, forthcoming in July 2026.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Rochester, graduating magna cum laude. She earned both a Master in Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary.
Guerrilla Girls Lecture
The Raleigh Ringers
The Raleigh Ringers return to Chautauqua for another dazzling performance by one of America’s premier handbell ensembles. Renowned for their virtuosity and showmanship, The Raleigh Ringers bring an extraordinary range of musical styles to life—from classical masterpieces to rock favorites—on hundreds of bronze bells. Their precision, artistry, and infectious energy transform handbell ringing into a breathtaking visual and musical experience. Don’t miss this much-anticipated return engagement that promises to delight audiences of all ages.
July 2, 2026 @ 9:15 am Week One (June 27–July 4)
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Hall of Philosophy | CHQ Assembly
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde serves as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. In this role, she serves as spiritual leader for the congregations and Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties that comprise the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair and president of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which oversees the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.
Budde is committed to the spiritual vitality and public witness of the congregations in her care. She is proud to serve a diocese committed to justice and mercy. She cherishes her friendship with interfaith leaders in the Washington Metro Area and their joint endeavors in service to the common good.
Budde was consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in 2011. Prior to her election, she served for 18 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. Her sermons have been published in several books and journals. Budde is the author of three books including the New York Times bestseller How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, which has been adapted as a Young Adult book, We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments as well as a picture book for young children, I Can Learn to Be Brave, forthcoming in July 2026.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Rochester, graduating magna cum laude. She earned both a Master in Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary.
Ecumenical Communion Service
Anna North
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle — Bog Queen: A Novel by Anna North
The latest from New York Times bestselling novelist Anna North—a monumental discovery sets off a clash of worlds, past and present, over the fate of the land that holds us.
When a body is found in a bog in northwest England, Agnes, an American forensic anthropologist, is called to investigate. But this body is not like any she’s ever seen. Though its bones prove it was buried more than two thousand years ago, it is almost completely preserved.
Soon Agnes is drawn into a mystery from the distant past, called to understand and avenge the death of an Iron Age woman more like her than she knows. Along the way, she must contend with peat-cutters who want to profit from the bog and activists who demand that the land be left undisturbed. Then there’s the moss itself: a complex repository of artifacts and remains, with its own dark stories to tell.
As Agnes faces the deep history of what she has unearthed, she’s also forced to question what she thought she knew about her talent, her self-reliance, and her place in the world. Flashing between the uncertainty of post-Brexit England and the druidic order of Celtic Europe at the dawn of the Roman era, Bog Queen brims with contemporary urgency and ancient wisdom as it connects across time two gifted, farsighted young women learning to harness their strange strengths in a landscape more mysterious and complex than either can imagine.
Anna North is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick Outlawed, America Pacifica, and Lambda Literary Award winner The Life and Death of Sophie Stark. She is a senior correspondent at Vox. She lives in Brooklyn.
Rev. Robert W. Henderson
In 2008, The Rev. Robert W. Henderson was installed as the sixth senior minister and head of staff at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. A respected pastor, preacher, and leader, Henderson is known for cultivating congregational vitality and meaningful community engagement. His ministry focuses on the centrality of worship, pastoral care, and vibrant mission programs.
Both personally and through leading his congregation, Henderson continues his active involvement in uplifting local and international communities. Within recent years, his congregation has invested more than 6 million dollars in affordable housing projects. In Greensboro, N.C., they initiated an innovative partnership with an underprivileged neighborhood.
Directly at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson’s congregation opened a need-based child development center. The church is also home to a unique pastoral residency program for seminary graduates. Henderson enjoys seeing people grow in their personal faith and has particularly witnessed this through organizing and participating in mission trips in places such as Appalachia, Nablus, Bethlehem, Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico.
In addition to his work with the Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson has been leading renewal conferences for large church pastors. He is also actively involved at Davidson College serving on the board of trustees and presidential search committee.
From 1993 to 2008, Henderson served as senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C. In Stone Mountain, Ga. he was associate pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church from 1988-1993.
Henderson received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Bachelor of Arts in economics and religion from Furman University.
Rev. Robert W. Henderson
In 2008, The Rev. Robert W. Henderson was installed as the sixth senior minister and head of staff at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. A respected pastor, preacher, and leader, Henderson is known for cultivating congregational vitality and meaningful community engagement. His ministry focuses on the centrality of worship, pastoral care, and vibrant mission programs.
Both personally and through leading his congregation, Henderson continues his active involvement in uplifting local and international communities. Within recent years, his congregation has invested more than 6 million dollars in affordable housing projects. In Greensboro, N.C., they initiated an innovative partnership with an underprivileged neighborhood.
Directly at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson’s congregation opened a need-based child development center. The church is also home to a unique pastoral residency program for seminary graduates. Henderson enjoys seeing people grow in their personal faith and has particularly witnessed this through organizing and participating in mission trips in places such as Appalachia, Nablus, Bethlehem, Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico.
In addition to his work with the Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson has been leading renewal conferences for large church pastors. He is also actively involved at Davidson College serving on the board of trustees and presidential search committee.
From 1993 to 2008, Henderson served as senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C. In Stone Mountain, Ga. he was associate pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church from 1988-1993.
Henderson received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Bachelor of Arts in economics and religion from Furman University.
July 6, 2026 @ 8:00 pm Week Two (July 4–11)
Music School Festival Orchestra "Opening Night"
Amphitheater
Music School Festival Orchestra “Opening Night”
Comprised of top-tier students from conservatories and universities in the U.S. and abroad, Music School Festival Orchestra members participate in a variety of musical activities during their summers at Chautauqua including chamber music and private lessons along with their meticulous orchestral training. Alumni from the MSFO can be heard in many of the world’s top orchestras and chamber ensembles and can be found on music faculties worldwide. The MSFO is led by Artistic Director Timothy Muffitt, who serves as Music Director of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Laureate of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.
Rev. Robert W. Henderson
In 2008, The Rev. Robert W. Henderson was installed as the sixth senior minister and head of staff at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. A respected pastor, preacher, and leader, Henderson is known for cultivating congregational vitality and meaningful community engagement. His ministry focuses on the centrality of worship, pastoral care, and vibrant mission programs.
Both personally and through leading his congregation, Henderson continues his active involvement in uplifting local and international communities. Within recent years, his congregation has invested more than 6 million dollars in affordable housing projects. In Greensboro, N.C., they initiated an innovative partnership with an underprivileged neighborhood.
Directly at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson’s congregation opened a need-based child development center. The church is also home to a unique pastoral residency program for seminary graduates. Henderson enjoys seeing people grow in their personal faith and has particularly witnessed this through organizing and participating in mission trips in places such as Appalachia, Nablus, Bethlehem, Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico.
In addition to his work with the Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson has been leading renewal conferences for large church pastors. He is also actively involved at Davidson College serving on the board of trustees and presidential search committee.
From 1993 to 2008, Henderson served as senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C. In Stone Mountain, Ga. he was associate pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church from 1988-1993.
Henderson received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Bachelor of Arts in economics and religion from Furman University.
Chuck Todd
Chuck Todd is one of America’s foremost experts on American politics. A seasoned political journalist and analyst known for his sharp insight, he is the host of “The ChuckToddCast,” a weekly podcast offering in-depth interviews with political figures, experts, and thought leaders. He is currently the head of politics and host of “Sunday Night with Chuck Todd” for the Noosphere app, where he aims to continue his legacy of delivering impactful political analysis and fostering engaging conversations with leaders shaping the future of American politics. He is also the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence for the University of Southern California’s Capital Campus, in Washington, D.C., where he teaches about how Washington works. Todd joins Chautauqua’s week “Charting a New Media Landscape” to help survey the landscape of legacy national media institutions, and how forces both within and beyond their control are shaping their news-gathering operations, values and standards, and overall business models.
A six-time Emmy Award winner, Todd was NBC News’s chief political analyst and moderator of “Meet the Press” from 2014 to 2023. Known for his sharp insight and knowledge of politics, Todd has co-moderated multiple presidential debates, including the record-breaking 2019 and 2020 Democratic debates. He previously served as NBC News’s chief White House correspondent from 2008 to 2014 and hosted “The Daily Rundown” on MSNBC. In 2007, he joined NBC News as political director after 15 years at The Hotline, where he served as editor-in-chief. Todd was also the founding managing editor for The Sports Business Daily in 1994, now known as The Sports Business Journal.
Todd is the author of two books: How Barack Obama Won, co-authored in 2009, and The Stranger: Barack Obama in the White House, released in 2014. He has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Atlantic.
Rev. Robert W. Henderson
In 2008, The Rev. Robert W. Henderson was installed as the sixth senior minister and head of staff at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. A respected pastor, preacher, and leader, Henderson is known for cultivating congregational vitality and meaningful community engagement. His ministry focuses on the centrality of worship, pastoral care, and vibrant mission programs.
Both personally and through leading his congregation, Henderson continues his active involvement in uplifting local and international communities. Within recent years, his congregation has invested more than 6 million dollars in affordable housing projects. In Greensboro, N.C., they initiated an innovative partnership with an underprivileged neighborhood.
Directly at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson’s congregation opened a need-based child development center. The church is also home to a unique pastoral residency program for seminary graduates. Henderson enjoys seeing people grow in their personal faith and has particularly witnessed this through organizing and participating in mission trips in places such as Appalachia, Nablus, Bethlehem, Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico.
In addition to his work with the Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson has been leading renewal conferences for large church pastors. He is also actively involved at Davidson College serving on the board of trustees and presidential search committee.
From 1993 to 2008, Henderson served as senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C. In Stone Mountain, Ga. he was associate pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church from 1988-1993.
Henderson received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Bachelor of Arts in economics and religion from Furman University.
Jason Riley
Jason Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the “Upward Mobility” opinion columnist for The Wall Street Journal, where he has written about politics, economics, education, immigration and social inequality for more than 25 years. He’s also a frequent public speaker and provides commentary for television and radio news outlets, and he joins the 2026 Chautauqua Lecture Series for the Week Two theme “Breaking the News: Charting a New Media Landscape.”
Riley is the author of six books. In 2008 he published Let Them In, which argues for more legal immigration. His second book, Please Stop Helping Us, is about government efforts to help the Black underclass and was published in 2014. In 2017 he published False Black Power?, an assessment of why Black political success has not translated into more economic advancement. In 2021 he published Maverick, a biography of the iconic economist and social theorist Thomas Sowell and narrated the documentary film “Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World.” In 2022 he published The Black Boom, an analysis of Black economic progress prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. His most recent book, The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Black Don’t Need Racial Preferences to Succeed, was published in 2025.
Riley earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has also worked for USA Today and the Buffalo News.
July 9, 2026 @ 9:15 am Week Two (July 4–11)
Rev. Robert W. Henderson
Hall of Philosophy | CHQ Assembly
Rev. Robert W. Henderson
In 2008, The Rev. Robert W. Henderson was installed as the sixth senior minister and head of staff at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. A respected pastor, preacher, and leader, Henderson is known for cultivating congregational vitality and meaningful community engagement. His ministry focuses on the centrality of worship, pastoral care, and vibrant mission programs.
Both personally and through leading his congregation, Henderson continues his active involvement in uplifting local and international communities. Within recent years, his congregation has invested more than 6 million dollars in affordable housing projects. In Greensboro, N.C., they initiated an innovative partnership with an underprivileged neighborhood.
Directly at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson’s congregation opened a need-based child development center. The church is also home to a unique pastoral residency program for seminary graduates. Henderson enjoys seeing people grow in their personal faith and has particularly witnessed this through organizing and participating in mission trips in places such as Appalachia, Nablus, Bethlehem, Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico.
In addition to his work with the Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson has been leading renewal conferences for large church pastors. He is also actively involved at Davidson College serving on the board of trustees and presidential search committee.
From 1993 to 2008, Henderson served as senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C. In Stone Mountain, Ga. he was associate pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church from 1988-1993.
Henderson received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Bachelor of Arts in economics and religion from Furman University.