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Classical WNIU is Northern Illinois' home for the best in Classical Music and the Arts. Listen at 90.5fm in Northern Illinois, and also 105.7fm in Rockford, IL.

Midway Village Museum's 1900 America Chautauqua

Are you familiar with the word, "Chautauqua?*" It refers to an institution that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries providing popular entertainment and education in the form of lectures, concerts and plays -- often presented outdoors. Classical WNIU encourages you to experience this tradition brought back to life at the Midway Village Museum in Rockford, June 9th and 10th. In fact, John Heyl** Vincent -- a former Rockford minister -- was one of the founders of the Chautauqua movement, named for Chautauqua County, New York where the first gatherings began. Summer Chautauqua shows soon popped up in cities all over the country. These "expos" were the primary way most people learned what was going on in American popular culture. That’s hard to imagine in today's "information overload" society connected by cell phones, TV and the internet! Step back into the past June 9th and 10th as Midway Village Museum stages another turn-of-the-century "Chautauqua" featuring all the characters, music, clothing and activities of the time. You'll find all the details in Events.

* shah TAH kwah
** John HILE Vincent