Community Events

Hear how Irving and his work have been a pervasive presence in American pop culture, from Joseph Jefferson’s 40-year-run on stage as Rip Van Winkle, to Irving himself as a character in the 1938 Broadway musical Knickerbocker Holiday, to many comic book, film, and TV adaptations of his work, including Walt Disney’s 1949 animated version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton’s 1999 horror film Sleepy Hollow, and a popular 2013-2017 TV series. This workshop is led by scholar John Dennis Anderson who will be portraying Washington Irving the evening of July 24.

The workshop will be held at the Ashland County Council on Aging, 240 East 3^rd Street, Ashland.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

E. B. White wrote, “Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies.” Don’t worry: No amphibians are harmed in this workshop.  Join Susan Marie in examining examples, eliciting pointers, and braving exercises that bring humor to oral or written stories.  No experience or literary aspirations required. Warning: smiles, chuckles, or laughter may ensue. This workshop is led by scholar Susan Marie Frontczak who will be portraying Erma Bombeck the evening of July 21.

The workshop will be held at the Ashland Public Library, 224 Claremont Avenue, Ashland.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

Scholar Martin Lahman takes on the persona of English-born American founding father Thomas Paine in a living history performance on Wednesday, July 22 at 8:00 p.m. at the Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, 209 Parkside Drive, Ashland. After the first-person characterization of Paine, Martin will participate in a Q&A session, first as Thomas Paine and then as himself.

Opening Music Act at 7:00 p.m. – Steve Brown Jazz Trio

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

Join Ashland Chautauqua for an informal gathering with the week’s visiting scholars and volunteer committee members for a casual conversation. Ask a scholar a question, hear more about the scholars, or learn about the characters the scholars portray.

Coffee with the Scholars will be held at the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce (new location this year), 121 West Main Street, Ashland, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning of this year’s event (July 23-July 25) from 9:00-10:00 a.m. You are welcome to come to any or all three gatherings to get better acquainted with the scholars and learn about behind-the-scenes Chautauqua.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

During this workshop, Martin Lahman will address Paine’s inspirations, Locke and Rousseau, as well as Paine’s thoughts on taxation, representation, religion, slavery, women’s rights, property, and capital punishment. Paine’s thought progression went from center to left over the course of his life. Learn how this was born out in his work. This workshop is led by scholar Martin Lahman who will be portraying Thomas Paine on July 22.

The workshop will be held at Mill Run Place, 1715 Richard Drive, Ashland.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

Imagine your bridegroom announcing at the wedding feast: “I am a dead man—the grave is waiting for me!” and springing on his horse and dashing away. In this workshop, children in the audience will help show and tell a ghost story by Irving. Fans of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” will thrill to this similarly spooky story and learn if this Spectre Bridegroom is really a ghost—or not? This workshop is led by scholar John Dennis Anderson who will be portraying Washington Irving on July 24.

The workshop will be held at the Ashland Public Library, 224 Claremont Ave., Ashland.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

This workshop reflects on the civil rights movement and explores personal stories, using music and discussion to connect past and present experiences. Handouts will provide an overview of Coretta Scott King’s contributions and the significance of Freedom Concerts.  Participants may recall and share their individual experiences of the civil rights era, sing iconic civil rights songs as a group, and write and share their own poems or stories. Reconnect with past experiences, find joy in shared musical activities, and feel empowered to share that wisdom with younger generations. This workshop is led by scholar Rebecca Marks Jimerson who will be portraying Coretta Scott King on July 25.

The workshop will be held at the Ashland County Senior Citizens Center, 615 W. 10th Street, Ashland.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

Scholar Becky Stone takes on the persona of “Stagecoach Mary,” mail carrier in the Old West Mary Fields in a living history performance on Thursday, July 23 at 8:00 p.m. at the Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, 209 Parkside Drive, Ashland. After the first-person characterization of Fields, Becky will participate in a Q&A session, first as Mary Fields and then as herself.

Opening Music Act at 7:00 p.m. – The Bridge Live!

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.

Join Ashland Chautauqua for an informal gathering with the week’s visiting scholars and volunteer committee members for a casual conversation. Ask a scholar a question, hear more about the scholars, or learn about the characters the scholars portray.

Coffee with the Scholars will be held at the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce (new location this year), 121 West Main Street, Ashland, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning of this year’s event (July 23-July 25) from 9:00-10:00 a.m. You are welcome to come to any or all three gatherings to get better acquainted with the scholars and learn about behind-the-scenes Chautauqua.

Ashland Chautauqua’s 5-day America’s Stories event, in celebration of America 250, runs from July 21-25, 2026 with daytime workshops at various locations in Ashland County and living history performances each evening at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park, Ashland. All events are free, open to the public, accessible and sensory-friendly.