Susie Anderson
Staff Writer
The Great American Picnic will revive a favorite tradition after recovering a long-lost treasure: the secret baked beans recipe.
The recipe disappeared long before Robin Musher, the events chair for the Alumni Association of the CLSC’s picnic this year (and recent amateur sleuth), recently joined the Alumni Association. Ellen Chamberlin, member-at-large of the Alumni Association and former chair of the picnic, put Musher on the case.
“At the first meeting, Ellen said, ‘We really need to find the baked bean recipe.’ And I, of course, did not know what she was talking about,” said Musher.
Undeterred, Musher pursued the mystery beans by posting on the Chautauqua
Grapevine, a Google Group for community members.
“Someone wrote to me and said, ‘The recipe is framed, and it’s in the volunteer fire hall kitchen,’ ” Musher said. “I’m like, ‘You gotta be kidding me. That’s so Chautauqua.’ ”
The next step was reconnaissance of the not-so-secret recipe.
Still safely tacked to the wall of Chautauqua’s Volunteer Fire Hall Department, the recipe was documented (a cell phone photograph) and distributed (texted to Musher and her colleagues), so Chautauquans may share in the magic of the beans at the picnic. Chamberlin will prepare them herself.
From noon to 2 p.m. Sunday on the lawn outside of the Literary Arts Center at Alumni Hall, the Great American Picnic will offer not only the beguiling beans, but also live music, face-painting, auctions and lawn activities, such as cornhole and ladder golf.
The ticket purchases provide visitors with access to entertainment and food. In addition to the return of the beans, this year’s picnic will feature a book sale with Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle selections and a sale of Chautauqua postcards from a generous donor.
All proceeds from the event will fund the Alumni Association of the CLSC’s scholarship program for local teachers and librarians. A scholarship provides recipients with a gate pass, a seat in a Writers’ Center workshop and membership to the CLSC.
The picnic follows the unprecedented success of the Alumni Association’s recent Silent Auction, which raised over $24,000 for the scholar-
ship fund.
“I think (the silent auction) broke all records,” Musher said. “So that has taken a lot of the pressure off of us.”
Despite lighter fundraising pressure, the pressure of ensuring a crowd-pleasing event remains. Beyond the belated bean recovery, bake sale brownies and fresh watermelon, the picnic established the best hot dog brand as recently as last summer.
“It’s the Smith’s wieners, and you have to have Smith’s. Otherwise, there will be backlash,” Musher said. “But we also have the plant-based hot dogs, as well … and the beans.”
