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.
CHQ Squirrel Scramble
Sorry - this event has already ocurred. Click here to explore our upcoming events.
Calling all squirrels! Welcome to the thrilling world of the Squirrel Scramble! This exciting race is designed specifically for our energetic young participants, ages 5–12, who are ready to embark on a wild adventure. Picture a fun-filled course that combines agility, teamwork, and loads of fun, all while embracing the spirit of the nimble and playful squirrel.
As a bonus, all participants who register before September 30 will receive an event t-shirt and an exclusive Squirrel Scramble participation trophy. After the race, join us for post-event refreshments and an awards ceremony at the banquet hall in the Chautauqua Golf Club.
Register at: https://runsignup.com/chqtrailblazerchallenge-signup
CHQ Trailblazer Challenge
Sorry - this event has already ocurred. Click here to explore our upcoming events.
Welcome to the CHQ Trailblazer Challenge—an obstacle adventure like no other! Get ready to dive into the great outdoors and navigate a course that seamlessly combines the excitement of overcoming obstacles with the serenity of nature. This run is truly one-of-a-kind, as many of our obstacles are hand-crafted! Prepare to have an amazing time and forge new friendships along the way, from the moment you leap past the starting line until you triumphantly cross the finish.
As a bonus, all participants who register before September 30 will receive a custom-sized event t-shirt and an exclusive CHQ Trailblazer Challenge Soap medal. After the race, join us for post-event refreshments and an awards ceremony at the banquet hall in the Chautauqua Golf Club.
Your participation in this event goes beyond personal achievement; it contributes to the continuous maintenance and improvement of the CHQ Trail. This trail serves as a valuable community resource, freely available to residents and visitors of the greater Chautauqua County area. Learn more about the CHQ Trail at https://www.chq.org/schedule/recreation-and-fitness/chq-trail/.
Registration: https://runsignup.com/chqtrailblazerchallenge-signup
@ 12:00 am
CHQ Travels: Literary Ireland with Kwame Alexander
Delve into Ireland’s vibrant literary arts on a journey that brings you into the worlds of some of history’s most renowned writers. In the heart of Dublin, immortalized by James Joyce, explore the city’s relationship to the many writers it has produced—and meet a prominent contemporary Irish author for a personal perspective on writing in Ireland today. Travel into Northern Ireland, on the trail of Samuel Beckett and C.S. Lewis, and cap off the trip in the tranquil countryside Seamus Heaney called home. Along the way, enjoy exclusive tours of historic estates and examine rare books and manuscripts in libraries and private collections.
Pricing: $4,995 per person; For a single room add $600
Oktoberfest
Experience a night of German splendor at the Athenaeum Hotel! Savor an indulgent German feast while being serenaded by The Bergholz German Band, direct from Niagara Falls (NY). Clad in vibrant, traditional garb, this band brings the essence of German Folk tradition to life with their infectious oom-pah rhythms and joyful melodies. Their full wind ensemble delivers a rich, harmonious sound that embodies the cheerful spirit of Gemütlichkeit, a tradition they’ve delighted audiences with for 50 incredible years.
Come just for the evening, or book our Oktoberfest Overnight Hotel Package.
Package price starts at $249 standard room for two people, $269 premium room for two people, $52 per person for dinner only.
Package includes:
Lodging at the historic Athenaeum Hotel located on Chautauqua Lake
German feast on Saturday
Breakfast on Sunday
Make your night extra special with an overnight stay at the Athenaeum Hotel. Book your room today online or by calling 716-357-4444.
*Does not include tax or gratuity. Subject to availability. Rates are based on double occupancy. Single occupancy rates are available upon request.
@ 12:00 am
CHQ Travels: Culture, Creation & Reconciliation in South Africa with The Rt. Rev. Bishop Eugene Sutton
Join Chautauqua Travels for an extraordinary 12-day journey through the heart of South Africa, where culture, creation, and reconciliation converge. This captivating tour will examine the nation’s rich natural and cultural heritage alongside the triumphs and tribulations that have shaped its remarkable story. Your journey begins in Johannesburg, a city that epitomizes the paradoxes of South Africa’s past and present. Follow in the footsteps of Nobel Prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu on Vilakazi Street – the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize laureates once lived; delve into the complicated history of apartheid at the world-class Apartheid Museum; and observe firsthand the challenges – and optimism – that remain in Kliptown, a sprawling settlement where volunteers with the Little Rose Center work tirelessly to provide meals, education, and shelter to the city’s youth. Continue to Cape Town, a bustling metropolis nestled between towering mountains and the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Explore the region’s stunning natural resources – from penguin colonies at Boulder’s Beach to the soaring peak of Table Mountain – as well as its complicated past, with a guided tour of Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela’s former jailer and eventual friend. Experience hope and inspiration with services at St. George’s Cathedral and witness a spectacular story of reconciliation at the Amy Foundation, providing job training to vulnerable young adults. Continue along the coastline to a retreat center for rest and reflection in Hermanus before immersing yourself completely in the glory of creation at Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest game reserves and home to the Big Five.
Pricing: $8,395 per person; For a single room add $1,275
@ 12:00 am
CHQ Travels: Cuba’s Kaleidoscope with Deborah Sunya Moore
Due to overwhelming demand, a new departure of Cuba’s Kaleidoscope with Deborah Sunya Moore, December 3-8, 2024, will be available to book in the coming months. This group will also be joined by Fernando Saez, but will have more of a focus on Cuban music. Sign up now and we’ll let you know when you can book!
Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano
The extraordinary Alexander Gavrylyuk serves as Artist in Residence for Chautauqua Institution. His international career has included appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Scottish Symphony, and the Hollywood Bowl. Following what was hailed as an “electrifying performance” broadcast at the 2017 Proms in Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Limelight magazine said “It is refreshing to experience completely new interpretations of traditional masterpieces by a monumental master of the piano who is, also, modest (and not falsely so), who is unassuming and completely dedicated to his art.”
Play CHQ: Tie Dye Thursdays
Play CHQ invites families Tie Dye apparel and wearables throughout the 2025 season. Apparel and wearables very in price.
July 1, 2025 @ 8:15 pm Week Two (June 29–July 6)
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano
Amphitheater
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano
Stunningly virtuosic and internationally recognized pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk joins the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in this beloved annual event. Currently serving as Artist-in-Residence for Chautauqua Institution, Mr. Gavrylyuk is a First Prize and Gold Medal winner of the Horowitz, Hamamatsu and Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competitions.
July 4, 2025 @ 8:00 pm Week Two (June 29–July 6)
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Independence Day Celebration
Amphitheater
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Independence Day Celebration
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Capathia Jenkins, vocalist
Celebrate Independence Day in style with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra’s July 4th concert, featuring the dynamic leadership of Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and the sensational vocals of Capathia Jenkins, a frequent guest with orchestras around the U.S. and who starred as ‘Medda’ in Newsies on Broadway. Join us for a patriotic evening of musical brilliance as we pay tribute to the spirit of America. From stirring marches to beloved Broadway hits, this concert promises a dazzling display of talent and passion that will leave audiences uplifted and inspired. Bring your family and friends and join us for a night of unforgettable music and festive fun with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
August 16, 2025 @ 8:15 pm Week Nine (August 17–25)
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Gershwin’s Concerto in F
Amphitheater
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Gershwin’s Concerto in F
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Aaron Diehl, piano
One hundred years ago, composer George Gershwin, fresh off the successful premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, holed up in a practice cabin at Chautauqua Institution to work furiously on what became his Concerto in F. This summer, pianist Aaron Diehl joins Rossen Milanov and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the concerto’s premiere. Come hear a piece of Chautauqua’s history performed by a celebrated pianist who is redefining the lines between jazz and classical today.
Program
George Gershwin: Concerto in F
Additional works to be announced.
August 18, 2025 @ 10:45 am Week Nine (August 17–25)
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Amphitheater | CHQ Assembly
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times No. 1 best-selling author, most recently of An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, published in April 2024. With five decades of scholarship studying Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, Goodwin returns to the Chautauqua Lecture Series to open a week dedicated to the theme “Past Informs Present: How to Harness History.”
Goodwin’s previous books include the critically acclaimed and New York Times best-selling Leadership: In Turbulent Times, which incorporates her five decades of scholarship studying Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. Leadership inspired the young readers book The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, which published in September 2024, and the History Channel’s miniseries events “Abraham Lincoln,” “Theodore Roosevelt” and “FDR,” which Goodwin executive produced through her production company, Pastimes Productions.
Goodwin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. Her Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln was awarded the Lincoln Prize and was in part the basis for Steven Spielberg’s highly acclaimed film “Lincoln.”
Goodwin’s interest in presidential leadership was inspired by her experience as a 24-year-old White House Fellow, working directly for President Johnson in his last year in the White House, and later assisting him in the preparation of his memoirs. Her first book was the widely praised and enormously popular Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream.
Goodwin graduated magna cum laude from Colby College. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in government from Harvard University, where she taught government, including a course on the American presidency. The first woman to enter the Boston Red Sox locker room in 1979, Goodwin lives in Boston and is a devoted fan of the World Series-winning team.
@ 5:00 am - 3:39 pm
Athenaeum Hotel
Private Accommodations
Minerva Bed & Breakfast
@ 5:00 am - 3:39 pm
2 Ames
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@ 5:00 am - 3:39 pm
Afterwords Wine Bar
Afterwords Wine Bar (AWB)
On Bestor Plaza, above the Chautauqua Bookstore | Facebook
Elevate your dining experience with a meal at Afterwords Wine Bar. Choose from hearty handhelds to shareable Mediterranean plates perfectly paired with hand-selected wine.
Afterwords Wine Bar is closed for the 2024 season.
February 28
Heirloom Restaurant and Lobby Lounge at the Athenaeum Hotel
Bar, Dine In, Takeout, Delivery
@ 5:00 am - 3:39 pm
Heirloom Restaurant and Lobby Lounge at the Athenaeum Hotel
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