Four actors will represent the "Faces of Rushmore" - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln - for the USA250 celebration and performances at the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward "Nebraska's Fourth of July City" Friday, July 3, 2026: Chautauqua style presentations from the actors (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt) 10am-2pm, Concert at 7pm Saturday, July 4, 2026: Dedication Ceremony USA250 at 9am, Meet and Greets 10am-2pm, Grand Parade at 4pm
Join us in Hastings to hear the lesser-known stories of the forging of our nation and our state. Details here.
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“Weaving a Nation” Nebraska Chautauqua (Read More)
Details coming soon!
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Lewis & Clark: What Was Their Value Worth? Seaman, York, Sacagawea & Pomp Stories (Read More)
The Corps of Discovery was a fascinating group of individuals. But there were four members of the corps that were “valuable” but not paid. Hunt discusses these four members and tells stories of their adventures. She also dispels a few myths about these members. This program is appropriate for all ages. Presented by Renae Hunt
This program takes a look at black American influences in the early west, and at the movement of freed blacks after the civil war as they move into and settle in the west. We will look at black settlements in the plains and the causes for their ultimate demise. This program is not a broad history of black settlers and settlements, rather, a quick sketch of who was here, where they came from and what happened to them. Presented by Jerry Lucas
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Meet El Vaquero: America’s First Cowboy (Read More)
Free family fun with an educational thread! El Vaquero is a conglomeration of many different cowboys who first roamed the continent. You'll be enthralled as he is brought to life by Angel Vigil. Audience members will be invited to ask questions of El Vaquero, as well as Angel Vigil.
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“The Fifties in Focus” Nebraska Chautauqua (Read More)
tauquabmatiesAshSee full list of events at www.nebraskachautauqua.org
Plenty of topics to choose from as our experts speak at Ashland Public Library. Time North Room South Room 9:00 AM SAC, Deterrence, and Nebraska in the Early Cold War Brian York, Curator, SAC Museum History of Rock N' Roll Randall Snyder, Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau 10:00 AM Red Channels: Anti-Communism in 1950s Film and Television Dr. Sean Trundle, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Crises and Opportunities of the 1950s Cold War Dr. Thomas Berg, Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau 11:00 AM The Fight for Civil Rights Becky Stone & Dr. Lenneal Henderson, Chautauqua scholars 75 minutes 12:15 PM LUNCH 1 PM Conformity and Its Discontents: Suburbanization and Consumer Culture Dr. Sean Trundle, University of Nebraska-Lincoln A Lost Consensus? Politics and Culture in the 1950s Dr. Danielle Battisti, University of Nebraska-Omaha 2 PM Fire in the Hole: The Contrasting Visions of Dwight Eisenhower and Earl Warren Jim Newton, Eisenhower and Warren scholar What’s Up with Ward & June? The 1950s American Family in Myth, Memory, & Reality Dr. Catherine Biba, Hastings College 3 PM Whom We Shall Welcome: Immigration and the Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion in Postwar America Dr. Danielle Battisti, University of Nebraska-Omaha The Korean War: Uncharted Waters in the Cold War Dr. Thomas Berg, Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau 4 PM Let’s Play Ball! Sports in American Life Dr. Catherine Biba, Hastings College Post-War Pop: Memorabilia of the 1950s Donald-Brian Johnson, Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau
Join fashion historian and Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau member Sue McClain under the Chautauqua Tent in Ashland as she reviews 1950s fashions from head to toe with the help of local models.
Dr. David Nichols, Professor Emeritus, Southwestern University (KS), joins Chautauqua fans online to take a closer look at President Dwight D. Eisenhower's handling of controversial Senator Joseph McCarthy (R, Wisconsin). Open to all via Zoom Webinar. Register now!
