To celebrate America’s 250th Birthday, the theme for this year’s Chautauqua is Founding Figures: People Who Helped Create our Nation. A Chautauqua is a free public event where storytellers, historians, and musicians perform first-person portrayals of famous historical figures. This free festival will take place in Bishop Hill IL behind the Steeple Building Museum on Saturday August 22, 2026.
The day begins at 10 a.m. with storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis portraying Founding Father and U.S. President John Adam. Adams recruited Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration, edited his words and then worked tirelessly, ratifying the Declaration of Independence by a consensus of all thirteen colonies. John Adams recruited George Washington to lead the military, the fledgling government, then he negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, so England would recognize us as an independent nation. First Vice-President, Second President and father of the Sixth President, experience one of the foundational founding fathers of the U.S.
All of the Chautauqua programs will be held behind the Steeple Building Museum at 103 North Bishop Hill Street in Bishop Hill’s town square, on the corners of Main Street and Bishop Hill Road, in Bishop Hill, IL. Folks are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and to bring a friend. This free public event is sponsored by the Bishop Hill Heritage Association, Community State Bank, Fox Tales International, and the Illinois Arts Council. Regional Media is our major media sponsor. For more information, call 309-927-3899, visit www.bishophillheritage.org, or email bhha@mymctc.net .
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