08/19/2026
2026 BISHOP HILL CHAUTAUQUA celebrating America's 250th birthday this Saturday on August 22nd! Please be aware that the location has changed being staged behind the Steeple Building. See you there!
2026 BISHOP HILL CHAUTAUQUA 11:30 A.M. PERFORMANCE
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.
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.
All of the Chautauqua programs will be held behind the Steeple Building Museum at 103 North Bishop Hill Rd. 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 [email protected] .
