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10th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show to Take Place in Lewes, Delaware from June 22-25, 2008
Click here for a printable scehdule.
Individual Location Calendar Listings
June 24 and 25, 2008
Unified Calendar Listing
From June 22-25, 2008, Lewes, Delaware will be alive with a quintessentially American cultural experience during the 10th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show that will take place on the grounds of the Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway; and the Lewes Historical Society, 110 Shipcarpenter St. Admission is free and open to the public. A preliminary schedule of events is attached. For additional information, call 302-645-1148 or visit the Zwaanendael Museum online at http://history.delaware.gov/museums/zm/zm_main.shtml. A unique mixture of education and entertainment, Lewes’ Chautauqua will be held under a large tent and will feature re-enactors who take on the persona of celebrated historical figures, educating and entertaining audiences as they bring the past to life. Audience members are encouraged to ask questions and interact with the featured characters who will include composer and bandmaster John Philip Sousa, jazz singer Billie Holiday, composer George Gershwin, and renowned Delaware jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown. Additional offerings will include musical activities and performances, lectures, and a program on old-time radio shows. Chautauqua takes its name from a series of adult education programs that were first held at a campsite on the shores of Lake Chautauqua in upstate New York during the late 19th century. Chautauquas spread throughout America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries bringing speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers, and specialists of the day to a wide cross-section of the nation’s rural and small-town population. Circuit Chautauquas (or colloquially, Tent Chautauquas) were an itinerant manifestation of the movement. Programs would be presented in tents pitched in a field near town. After several days, the Chautauqua would fold its tents and move on to the next community. The popularity of Chautauquas peaked in the mid-1920s, after which radio, movies, and automobiles brought about the gradual disappearance of the movement by the 1940s. Reborn in the 1970s as a vehicle for humanities education, modern Chautauquas are organized around a core program in which re-enactors take on the persona of celebrated historical figures, speaking and interacting with audiences, often in the setting of a large outdoor tent. In Delaware, modern Chautauquas have been presented annually since 1999 under the auspices of the Delaware Humanities Forum featuring a wide variety of historical figures including Benjamin Franklin; Sacagawea, a Shoshoni Indian guide; Mark Twain; Harriet Tubman; Delaware patriot Caesar Rodney; and Dr. Yee Fung, a Gold Rush doctor. In 2008, Delaware’s 10th annual Chautauqua is co-sponsored by the Lewes Historical Society and the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, with grant support from the Delaware Humanities Forum. Additional programs that will be taking place in Lewes during the week of June 21–28 include the 18th Annual Lewes Garden Tour on June 21 (sponsored by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce, 302- 645-8073, www.leweschamber.com); and “Lewes Seafaring Days” on June 27 and 28 (sponsored by The Lewes Historical Society). The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state's first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military, and social history. The museum is currently featuring the exhibit, “Rediscovery Through Recovery,” which displays artifacts from the wreck of the Severn, a British commercial ship that sank off Lewes’ Roosevelt Inlet in the late 18th century. The Lewes Historical Society is committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of Lewes, Delaware—one of America's most historic towns. As part of its mission, the society maintains twelve beautifully restored historic properties, dating from 1665 to 1898. Open for public visitation, these properties, in conjunction with the society’s educational programs and special events, help to tell Lewes’ story of maritime adventure, architectural elegance, and over 375 years of colonial charm. The Zwaanendael Museum is one of eight museums administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA), an agency of the State of Delaware. HCA enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality, and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history and heritage. In addition to its museums, HCA operates two conference centers, manages over thirty historic properties, and serves as the state’s historic preservation office. Funding for HCA’s museums, programs, and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly, revenue from HCA’s History Stores, and grants from the National Park Service, a federal agency.
10th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: Lewes, Delaware, June 22-25, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008 The Lewes Historical Society 110 Shipcarpenter Street Lewes, Delaware 19958 Tel: 302-645-7670 Fax: 302-645-2375 E-Mail: info@historiclewes.org ©2002-2005 The Lewes Historical Society |
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