The Eagles Mere Chautauqua began in 1896 as an outgrowth of the New York Chautauqua, which remains active to this day. The early Chautauquas were based in large part on the Victorian ideal that a vacation, in addition to being relaxing, should be productive. Initially, Chautauqua gatherings emphasized religious study, but over time the movement evolved, first in the direction of self-improvement and eventually to incorporate entertainment and recreation. Since many wanted to spend their vacation time in a beautiful setting, Eagles Mere was ideal.
By the time the Chautauqua took root in Eagles Mere, the town had established itself as a resort area, which eventually included several hotels, rental cottages, and rail service that could carry people to the mountain destination. The original Chautauqua grounds were situated in the area now known as the Park, where attendees could rent tents or stay in cottages that were built for the Chautauqua.
Programming included lectures, teacher training, fine arts and athletics. Outdoor vesper services were held on the lake and became a regular part of the program. These services continue in Eagles Mere during the summer months. Other forms of entertainment--including concerts, athletic competitions, storytelling bonfires, and the lake itself--were eventually incorporated into the Chautauqua experience. One competitive event featured decorated, illuminated floats that circled the lake. This beloved event, now known as "Water Carnival," has remained a summer tradition for more than 100 years.
By the time the Chautauqua took root in Eagles Mere, the town had established itself as a resort area, which eventually included several hotels, rental cottages, and rail service that could carry people to the mountain destination. The original Chautauqua grounds were situated in the area now known as the Park, where attendees could rent tents or stay in cottages that were built for the Chautauqua.
Programming included lectures, teacher training, fine arts and athletics. Outdoor vesper services were held on the lake and became a regular part of the program. These services continue in Eagles Mere during the summer months. Other forms of entertainment--including concerts, athletic competitions, storytelling bonfires, and the lake itself--were eventually incorporated into the Chautauqua experience. One competitive event featured decorated, illuminated floats that circled the lake. This beloved event, now known as "Water Carnival," has remained a summer tradition for more than 100 years.
Though the Eagles Mere Chautauqua lasted for less than a decade, due mostly to changing tastes in popular entertainment, it planted the seeds of artistic pursuits in the community. From 1945-69 Eagles Mere was host to a summer theater, founded and run for twenty of those years by Northwestern University theater teacher, Alvina Krause. In 1982, the DeWire Center was built as a venue that holds summer concerts and entertainment events sponsored by the Eagles Mere Friends of the Arts. From 1984 to 2011, the EMFA also sponsored the Ensemble Theatre Community School (ETC), a residential summer theater training program for high school students founded and directed by Ann Klotz and Seth Orbach. For those 27 summers, children in Eagles Mere participated in daily creative dramatics classes taught by ETC faculty. Music in the Mountains, a teaching program for young musicians, led by Deb Reeder and Barbara Sonies, was held from 1976 to 2010. Alums still return to the mountain to perform each summer. Since 2001, EMFA has also sponsored Brain/Food, a weekly film and book discussion series held throughout the summer. In 2013, the House Concert Series was added, highlighting singer/songwriter concerts for intimate audiences. Further broadening the range of cultural attractions on the Eagles Mere Mountain, the Plein Air & a Spare festival started ran from 2013-2018.
The inaugural "Endless Arts: A Contemporary Chautauqua Experience" took place in 2017 and runs for one weekend annually in the fall.
The inaugural "Endless Arts: A Contemporary Chautauqua Experience" took place in 2017 and runs for one weekend annually in the fall.