Greene County News Report
CLIFTON — A historical-entertainment festival coming to the Village of Clifton in the summer of 2015 (June 30-July 4) now has a finalized event schedule. Clifton will be one of four stops on the 2015 Ohio Chautauqua tour, a series of events set to combine living history, music and entertainment, education, theater and audience interaction in a cultural event for all ages.
The main program each evening during the tour will feature a musical performance followed by a theatrical portrayal of a historic figure by an actor. The historic personalities featured this year include philosopher and author Henry David Thoreau, Titanic survivor Edith Russell, American Indian captive Olive Oatman, ‘49er, artist and draftsman J. Goldsborough Bruff, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Additionally, each day will have two workshop-style presentations, one geared toward children and the other for adults. These daytime programs will be held at various venues outside of Clifton to share the Chautauqua experience with surrounding communities.
Workshop activities and discussions will explore topics including Thoreau’s influence on the modern environmental movement, Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, the origins of Manifest Destiny, a slide show presentation of the California Trail, and much more.
According to Mayor of Clifton Alex Bieri, the event is “a rare opportunity to connect and share something special with surrounding communities, and Clifton hasn’t done much of that since the days of the stagecoach road along the Little Miami.”
All events during the Chautauqua tour are free and open to the public. Food vendors and concessions will be part of the evening programs near the big top tent in the center of the village. For the complete schedule and more information on Ohio Chautauqua, visit villageofclifton.com.
