The sixteenth U.S. president will come alive through his own words and the stories of those who knew him best when Nevada Humanities Chautauqua takes the stage at Bartley Ranch Regional Park in southwest Reno, June 22-26, 2008. Endorsed by the national Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the theme for the 2008 Nevada Humanities Chautauqua is Lincoln and the Civil War.

As 2009 marks the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, and the Nevada Humanities Chautauqua will be the kick-off event of Nevada’s bicentennial celebration, this year’s program will examine Lincoln’s life, accomplishments, and legacy through the reminiscences of such historical characters as Mary Todd Lincoln, Lincoln’s private secretary and friend John Hay, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and General Ulysses S. Grant.

Since 1992, Nevada Humanities has offered its Chautauqua, a well-loved summer cultural event featuring interactive performances by scholars who research, rehearse and present historic figures in full character, who then address their contemporary audiences.

For 2008, several major changes are slated to enhance the already popular summer program:

• New dates: June 22 to 26, Sunday through Thursday, with music at 6 p.m. and Chautauqua performances at 7 p.m. each evening.
• New location: Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road in southwest Reno.
• New name: Nevada Humanities Chautauqua (formerly Great Basin Chautauqua).

For a schedule of Chautauqua events and more information about Nevada Humanities, call (775) 784-6587 or (800) 382-5023, or visit their website.

Nevada Humanities Chautauqua wishes to thank the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation, Sierra Pacific Resources Foundation, Intuit, Wachovia Securities, Washoe County Parks, the Washoe County Library, and VSA Arts of Nevada.