ASHLAND — Ashland Chautauqua is known for its evening living history performances at Brookside Park.
Not so well known, but equally engaging and entertaining, are its daytime workshops.
The workshops are conducted by the Chautauqua scholars who perform in the evenings. Their workshops relate to the character they portray or to the era in which that character lived.
The workshops are enlightening, stimulating and often simply fun. Some of them are designed for youth, with adults welcome to join in also. The other workshops are designed for adults.
The workshops take place at locations around Ashland County and are free to all. This year’s Ashland Chautauqua dates are July 21-25. The theme this year is “America’s Stories,” in keeping with the national celebration of the USA’s 250 years.
The first workshop is geared for youth and is set for Tuesday, July 21, at 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army Kroc Center. It is entitled “Freedom Concerts for the Future.” Scholar Rebecca Marks Jimerson, who will portray Coretta Scott King on Saturday night, will lead the workshop.
Wednesday’s workshops begin with “African American Women in the Wild West,” led by Becky Stone, who will portray Mary Fields on Thursday evening. That adult workshop takes place at 10 a.m. at the Golden Center at the Loudonville Public Library. Another adult workshop, “Washington Irving in American Popular Culture,” will be at 1 p.m., led by scholar John Dennis Anderson at the Ashland County Council on Aging.
Anderson will portray Irving on Friday evening. The final Wednesday workshop, also
for adults, will take place at 2:30 p.m. at the Ashland Public Library. It is entitled “Hooked on Humor” and will be conducted by Susan Marie Frontczak, who will portray Erma Bombeck Tuesday evening.
On Thursday, the first workshop is for adults. It is entitled “The Ideology of Thomas Paine,” and will be conducted at Mill Run Place at 1 p.m. by scholar Martin Lahman, who will portray Paine on Wednesday evening.
“The Spectre Bridegroom” is a youth workshop at 2:30 p.m. at the Ashland Public Library.
It will be led by scholar Anderson. The final workshop on Thursday is for adults, “Voices of Change,” at the Ashland County Senior Citizens Center. It will be led by scholar Jimerson and it begins at 4 p.m. All three of Friday’s workshops are for youth.
First is “Thomas Paine — Might of the Pen,” a workshop with scholar Lahman at the Guy C. Myers Band Shell. It begins at 10 a.m. In the case of rain, it would be at Ashland’s YMCA.
“America’s Classical Stories for Children” will begin at 1 p.m. at the Freer Home in Ashland. This workshop will be conducted by scholar Frontczak. The final workshop is “The Games Pioneer Children Played,” led by scholar Stone at the Ashland Public Library. It begins at 2:30 p.m.
To learn more about Chautauqua and to view the 2026 “America’s Stories” schedule of events and program details, visit ashlandchautauqua.org.
All Ashland Chautauqua activities and performances are free to the public and take place at accessible locations. Ashland Chautauqua is supported by the Ohio Arts Council, the City of Ashland’s Parks & Recreation Department, Explore Ashland, local businesses and organizations and by local residents who want to see this vibrant celebration of history thrive in this community. Ashland Main Street is the fiscal agent. Ashland Chautauqua programming is planned and implemented by a committee of local citizen volunteers.