Traditional and Folk Musicians Join Ohio Chautauqua-Geauga’s Entertainment
The 2012 Ohio Chautauqua, coming this summer to Geauga County, will bring some of the area’s best musical talent to the stage for the tent festival’s five evenings of free, old-fashioned entertainment.
Ohio Chautauqua combines living history performances, music and drama to focus on the time “When Ohio was the Western Frontier.” The festival’s trademark red-and-white-striped tent will go up on the grounds of Geauga Historical Society’s Century Village Museum Tuesday, July 3 through Saturday, July 7.
The musical line-up includes: Hickory, of Chardon; the Hiram Rapids Stumblers, of Hiram; the Little Ol’ Me’s; Dave and Sarah Peltier, of Chardon; and Chris Castle, of Norwalk.
The music will precede each evening’s main event, which include performances by renowned humanities scholars, who will assume the costume and personality of famous historical figures. You will meet pioneer naturalist Johnny Appleseed; Iroquois leader Chief Logan; frontier aristocrat Margaret Blennerhassett; York, a Lewis and Clark Expedition member; and Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie.
Throughout the week, the humanities scholars will come out of character to present ten additional daytime programs on varying topics at five other venues around the county. Five of these programs will be aimed at younger audiences, and five will be geared toward adults.
Geauga County is one of only five sites throughout the state chosen for the privilege of hosting the 2012 Ohio Chautauqua, which is as much a social and educational movement as it is an event. All of the Ohio Chautauqua-Geauga performances and workshops are free of charge and will be held on schedule rain or shine. For more information and a schedule of Ohio Chautauqua events, please visit Ohio Chautauqua Geauga.
2012 Ohio Chautauqua Musical Entertainment Schedule
Tuesday, July 3: Hickory, old time
Wednesday, July 4: Hiram Rapids Stumblers, blue grass, old-time and folk
Thursday, July 5: The Little Ol’ Me’s, old time, folk, blues and ragtime
Friday, July 6: Dave and Sarah Peltier, music history and old-fashioned sing-along
Saturday, July 7: Chris Castle, folk
The 2012 Ohio Chautauqua is a unique cultural and educational opportunity for the communities of Geauga County and would not be possible without generous donations from The Geauga County Library Foundations, the trustees of Geauga Park District Foundation, Geauga County Rotaries, Great Lakes Cheese, Kent State University at Geauga, Middlefield Bank, Preston Chevrolet, The William T. & Margaret R. Clark Charitable Foundations and Xanterra Parks and Resort-Punderson. Ohio Chautauqua Companion Reader Newspapers are now available at many Geauga County businesses with the full schedule and complete stories about the event’s historical characters. Companion Readers can also be picked up at the Geauga County Tourism Office.
