
Lovers of history or those wishing for an evening of free entertainment, are encouraged to attend this year’s Ohio Chautauqua under the big tent in the Gallipolis City Park. Entertainment will begin each evening at 6:45 p.m. and will feature a different scholar each night assuming the character of a historical figure. For those wishing to delve deeper into the history of Ohio as the Western Frontier, workshops will be held by the scholars each day, Tuesday through Saturday, at Bossard Memorial Library.
GALLIPOLIS — Workers were out in force on Monday afternoon putting the finishing touches on the big tent in the Gallipolis City Park where history will come alive beginning on Tuesday as Ohio Chautauqua 2012 kicks off in Gallipolis.
Beginning on Tuesday evening and continuing through Saturday under the red and white tent, local musical entertainment performances will begin at 6:45 p.m., followed, at 7:30 p.m., by a living history performance by trained scholars.
This year’s theme is “When Ohio was the Western Frontier” and will feature characters, frontier aristocrat Margaret Blennerhassett as characterized by Debra Conner on Tuesday evening; the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry by Jeremy Meier on Wednesday night; York of the Lewis and Clark expedition as performed by Marvin Jefferson on Thursday; Iroquois leader Chief John Logan by Dan Culter on Friday and folk hero Johnny Appleseed as performed by scholar Hank Fincken on Saturday evening.
Prior to the historical performances each evening, local entertainment will be provided by the Community Men’s Chorus on Tuesday, the Sweet Adelines on Wednesday, Robert Fulton on Thursday, Native American Dancer Suzane Tewawina on Friday and the Riverby Theatre Guild on Saturday evening.
In addition to the nightly events, daily workshops will be held beginning at 10:30 a.m. for youth and at 2:30 p.m. for adults at Bossard Memorial Library, 7 Spruce Street, Gallipolis.
In its fourth visit to Gallipolis since 2006, Ohio Chautauqua is celebrating its 14th annual tour this summer. Making stops in five different communities, Ohio Chautauqua has traveled to Marietta, Urbana, Burton and will make its way to Warren, Ohio, following it’s five-day stop in Gallipolis this week.
Ohio Chautauqua is presented each year by the Ohio Humanities Council. For more information, visit www.ohiohumanities.org or www.facebook.com/OhioChautauqua.






