Old-time Chautauqua coming to Dayton

The old-time tradition of the Chautauqua is being revived at Dayton and the nearby Lewis and Clark Trail State Park July 18-19.

The Chautauqua Movement began in 1874, bringing a mix of education and entertainment to rural communities.

“When a Chautauqua came to town, all normal activity stopped as citizens dedicated a week of their lives to learn, be entertained and join with their community,” according to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

It is working with the nonprofit New Old Time Chautauqua to bring free traveling Chautauquas with dozens of volunteer performers to state parks this summer, including the one on Highway 12 between Waitsburg and Dayton. A Discover Pass will be required for vehicles for July 18 events at the Lewis and Clark Trail State Park. An annual pass is $30 and a one-day pass is $10.

An eclectic mix of classes will be offered at the two-day event. They range from the serious — How to Use Listening to End Oppression — to the lighthearted — a group hoop jam to learn hula hoop tricks.

The event starts July 18 with nature-themed and other workshops from 4 to 6 p.m. Historian Gary Lentz will dress in period costume to discuss the flora, fauna and history of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The woman known as the “Eagle Lady of Florida” will share the skills of her great horned owl. Or participants can opt to learn juggling, acrobatics or clowning.

A potluck dinner is planned in the park at 6 p.m.

The next day, the Chautauqua moves to Dayton to the Pietrzycki City Park, south of Main Street at the end of South First Street, and the high school at 614 South Third Street.

A parade featuring Chautauqua’s volunteer performers and its marching band, plus local participants, is planned at noon. The event will end with a vaudeville-style show at 7 p.m. at the high school.

Three 45-minute workshop sessions are planned from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. You can learn old-time dances, bring an instrument and swap songs, learn to walk on stilts, try playing a ukulele, learn theatrical performance techniques or balance everyday objects on your face.

Lectures will be given on what it was like to be sent to a World War II interment camp for Japanese Americans and the Doctrine of Discovery, which remains the judicial bedrock of land ownership in the United States.

For more information, go to chautauqua.org/2016.

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 5:42 AM with the headline "Old-time Chautauqua coming to Dayton."