Boulder celebrates Colorado Chautauqua’s 125th birthday

Boulder’s scenic Chautauqua Park was bursting with activity Saturday afternoon as thousands of community members observed the Colorado Chautauqua’s 125th anniversary.

The free “125 Birthday Bash” party commemorated Chautauqua’s founding in 1898 when the land was purchased by the city, which owns it to this day. The space became a national historic landmark in 2006, one of 26 in Colorado and the only one in Boulder, said Shelly Benford, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Colorado Chautauqua Association.

Benford said Chautauqua had put on a “miniversion” of this year’s bash for its 120th birthday five years ago to prepare for the 125th milestone. She added that organizers hoped Saturday’s party would bring between 5,000 and 7,000 guests to the park at 900 Baseline Road from 1 to 6 p.m.

Benford said introducing festivals and outdoor events at the park, like the Summer Concert Series, has gotten Chautauqua recognized as a community partner and resource in Boulder. She attributed these events to the space’s continued success, even as many Chautauquas have “gone by the wayside.”

“We’ve stayed relevant over the years,” she said. “We keep our music relevant, we keep our cottages that are up for rent upgraded, we do festivals for the community. So we’re on the map.”

Next to the general store, visitors could peruse the “125 Years at the Heart of Boulder” exhibit, which was installed earlier this year at the Museum of Boulder, or look at artwork from six generations of residents of the Chautauqua Neighborhood.

Kids’ games, sponsor booths and local vendors filled the spacious lawn of Chautauqua Park as performers offered music throughout the day. Guests could also take a walking tour of the land and some of its historic buildings, led by Chautauqua archivist Kate Gerard.

“I grew up in Boulder … and (the Chautauqua) just keeps getting better,” Gerard said.

Toward the end of the party, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., delivered remarks on Chautauqua’s legacy and called for its continued preservation.

“This is an incredibly important anniversary,” Neguse told the crowd. “Anniversaries give us an opportunity to reflect on all that has happened since the inception of this incredible, incredible place. … We are blessed and lucky to be a part of the Colorado Chautauqua.”

Bennet spoke to Chautauqua’s long history of being a space for Coloradans to gather for conversations about culture, art, land and democracy.

“There is no way for a democracy to actually function without citizens doing the hard work of citizenship,” he said. “And that is what the Chautauqua is all about.”