Chautauqua

JOIN US IN HASTINGS June 26 & 27, 2026

Free family fun with an educational thread!

In commemoration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, HN invites you to explore a selection of lesser-known stories from our country’s rich tapestry of backgrounds and perspectives. It’s a fun, interactive experience that will help people connect with history and each other.

Humanities Nebraska presents this new style of Chautauqua to give participants multiple opportunities to explore the social, economic, and international influence of historic events on today’s society. It includes a variety of activities and events for Nebraskans of all ages to enjoy, led by various experts and scholars

Chautauqua is a unique opportunity for communities to explore key time moments of history and culture that still affect our lives today.

  • Family friendly
  • Multiple opportunities to explore topics from the past that affect us today
  • Interact with experts, family members, neighbors, and friends
  • Free for everyone!
Download the schedule flyer now!

The next Chautauqua will be in Hastings on June 26 & 27, 2026. Previously, "Weaving a Nation" was presented in Gering and Scottsbluff in 2025 and in Norfolk in 2024. Hastings will be the last opportunity to participate in this theme.

This festival will include family-friendly events, engaging workshops, and Chautauqua-style presentations that allow audience members to interact with historic figures. Download the schedule now! (pdf) 

All events are free and open to the public. HN thanks the many donors who have made this possible.

Help bring Chautauqua to Hastings by becoming a sponsor!

"Weaving a Nation" is part of "By the People: Conversations Beyond 250."

By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a complement to the 2026 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

What is Chautauqua?

With origins in the late 19th century, Chautauqua combines oratory and lectures with literary readings and musical entertainment. In the past, these touring groups would entertain and inform people living on the plains about political and cultural happenings. The name itself comes from a resort community in New York State where in 1875, a summer program of lectures, sermons, and music attracted such enthusiastic audiences that within a few years similar programs sprang into existence for the public in other parts of the country. Today, Chautauqua upholds the tradition of offering entertainment, education, and community-based heritage. Humanities Nebraska has re-imagined Chautauqua to include contemporary experts offering insight regarding how historic events and achievements affect our lives today, along with scholars-in-residence presenting first-person portrayals of some of our most important historical figures. It’s family-friendly fun, history and activities for all ages.

Schedule subject to change.

Events

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Today

  • Sorting Out Race exhibit

    Every day thrift stores across America receive donations of objects that display racial imagery— antique advertising cards, collectible salt-and-pepper shakers, vintage children’s books, and mugs with sports team mascots. Are […]

  • Family Picnic

    Chautauqua Park, Hastings W 5th St, Hastings, United States

    2200 W. 3rd St, Hastings Please join us to enjoy food, fun, and community at a picnic for everyone! Please bring lunch and picnic blanket. (Some picnic tables will be […]

  • Weaving a Nation

    Hastings College 710 Turner Ave, Hastings, United States

    Join us in Hastings to hear the lesser-known stories of the forging of our nation and our state. Details here.

  • Black Homesteaders in the Great Plains of America

    Hastings Public Library

    Speaker: Eric Ewing, Executive Director of Great Plains Black History Museum Across every state in the Great Plains, African American homesteaders claimed land, built communities, and shaped a distinct chapter […]

  • Giving Voice to the Silenced Stories

    Hastings Public Library

    Speaker: Beth Dotan, Research Assistant Professor at the Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln This program will take a glimpse into the […]

  • Raices de mi Pueblo

    French Memorial Chapel Hastings College, Hastings, NE, United States

    Authentic Mexican dancing performed by area children. The mission of Raices de mi Pueblo is to provide opportunity for the children to develop their self-esteem and confidence in their many […]

  • An Evening with El Vaquero

    French Memorial Chapel Hastings College, Hastings, NE, United States

    Meet El Vaquero, America’s first cowboy, as portrayed by Angel Vigil. A composite of many different historic figures, El Vaquero is a Spanish colonial cowboy. These cowboys were the first […]

  • Women’s Rights and the Saucy Mrs. Adams

    Hastings Public Library

    Speaker: Jessica Downing-Ford, Chautauqua Scholar Five years after Abigail Smith married John Adams, the American colonies adopted the British law of coverture. This law held that no female person had […]

  • Picture Cave: Finding the Divine Within

    Hastings Public Library

    Speaker: Taylor Keen Picture Cave is a 1,300 year old rock art site approximately 60 miles south of present day St. Louis and the former city of Cahokia. Picture Cave […]

  • The Origins of American Cowboy Culture

    Speaker: Angel Vigil, Chautauqua scholar Why are there rodeos? Why are there cowboys? Why are there horses in America? Where did the word cowboy come from? The Stetson cowboy hat? […]

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Humanities Nebraska thanks these sponsors for helping us bring Chautauqua to Hastings!