Recreation & Youth

Near the beginning of every Chautauqua summer, the sounds of children belting out patriotic tunes fill the air as the highly anticipated Children’s School Independence Day parade marches through the grounds. This year will be no exception. Today at 10 a.m., the children of Children’s School, along with Group 1 and Group 2 from Boys’ and Girls’ Club, will leave the Children’s School building, march down Pratt Avenue, stop at the Colonnade to sing several songs and proceed to the Amphitheater for a bit more singing.

For children who visit Chautauqua, Children’s School may be the beginning of a lifelong love for the Institution, according to Jack Voelker, director of the Department of Recreation and Youth Services. “It really is the entry-level experience of the life of the community, because this is how you start getting to be a part of the Chautauqua experience,” Voelker said. The program, which serves upward of 150 children per week, runs from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday for children ages 3 to 5.

The sun dazzled Mole’s sleepy eyes as he poked his nose out from his chilly underground home into the sweet-smelling spring air of the English countryside. The thrill of adventure beckoned as Mole set off in pursuit of what would soon become one of the most beloved tales of children’s literature, The Wind in the Willows. At 4:15 p.m. today in the Garden Room of Alumni Hall, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Young Readers Program will meet to discuss the most binding theme of this classic novel — friendship.

There are obvious ways to enjoy summer, like swimming, bike riding, ice cream and picnics. But for the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle’s Young Readers Program, the summer — which is full of talking animals, angels, poets, unlikely heroes and adventure — is anything but typical.

During the season, Jason Yacone, Chautauqua Tennis Center’s maintenance supervisor, keeps the grass cut short, the weeds plucked and the nets pulled tight. But his real work begins when visitors are still months away from arriving.