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. For example, meet Founding Father and U.S. President John Adams at this year’s Chautauqua. This free festival will take place in Bishop Hill IL at the gazebo in the town square 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.
At 11:30 a.m., experience A Revolution of Her Own!™ featuring History At Play™, LLC’s (HAP) Founder and Artistic Director Judith Kalaora in an immersive solo performance as Deborah Sampson, the first woman to successfully enlist, professionally fight, and to be honorably discharged from the American Military. The hour-long program chronicles her life: An indentured servant by age five, Deborah grew up in a world, where women were second-class. Deborah knew options were limited; breaking the rules was necessary to accomplish a greater goal in life. Experience Deborah’s arduous upbringing, one and a half years of active combat, and success as America’s first professional female soldier, through interactive stories and authentic colonial attire.
After lunch at 1:30 p.m., enjoy 1619: The Journey of a People a dynamic theatrical and lecture experience featuring playwright, professor, and performer Ted Williams III. On August 20, 1619, 20 enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. The 400-year journey that followed would change a nation and the world. This one-man show packs generations of history into an abridged performance. 1619: The Journey of a People commemorates the struggles, recognizes the heroes, and critically analyzes the American journey towards freedom and equality. From the beginning of American slavery to the Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Era, and modern movements for justice, Williams uses history to explain America’s current reality.
The final Chautauqua performance starts at 3 p.m. with The Power of Song in Democracy by folk musician Chris Vallillo. In this program, Chris Vallillo performs a wide range of material, from the Revolutionary War, through the political songs of the 19th century, the Dust Bowl ballads of Woody Guthrie, right on up to the protest songs of the 50s and 60s. Combining well-known and obscure pieces, Vallillo shares the music, history, and the back stories of the music that shaped the course of our nation over the past 250 years on a variety of historic instruments, including guitar, skinhead banjo, Dobro, and others.
All of the Chautauqua programs will be held at the gazebo 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 .
The Schedule – Saturday, August 22, 2026
10:00 a.m. John Adams: Architect of our Democracy with Brian “Fox” Ellis
11:30 a.m. A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson by Judith Kalaora
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. 1619: The Journey of a People by Dr. Ted Williams III
3:00 p.m. The Power of Song in Democracy performed by Chris Vallillo
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