Last week, I visited Fountain Park Chautauqua, in Remington, Indiana. Open only two weeks a summer, "Park" is a fascinating spot. Most chautauquans are from within an hour of the park and come to stay in their cottages or in the campground (about 70 cottages and 50 camping spaces). A few (like me) stay in the hotel. Remember, it's open two weeks a year! Their motto is "A lifetime of fun ... two weeks at a time." The hotel serves three meals a day and guests as well as visitors can eat there. For three meals and lodging, it's $50 a day - can't beat that! Plus, all the rummycube and eucre you can play.
As far as programming, Fountain Park has afternoon and evening programs, all-day activities for kids (run by one recreation director), and afternoon devotionals. All of the cottages are built in a circle, with lots of open space, the Tabernacle, and The Stand (run by the local Tri-Kappa sorority) in the middle.
One thing that struck me was that all programs were begun with some type of patriotic gesture - saying the Pledge of Allegiance or singing a patriotic song. The Park festivities begin the season with a parade of American flags and almost all cottages display a flag out front.
While this chautauqua was not on my list of 7 active chautauquas, it should be. Now there are 8 that I have identified.
No comments:
Post a Comment