​Dan Emmett Opens 13th Season of Chautauqua Series
Mount Vernon – What better way to start the new Chautauqua Series season than visit Mount Vernon’s own Dan Emmett. One of Knox County’s most famous citizens, Dan Emmett was the author on hundreds of songs including Old Dan Tucker, Blue Tail Fly, Turkey in the Straw and Dixie. He was a founding member of the Virginia Minstrels, recognized as the first true minstrel show group.
 
Making his first appearance on the Chautauqua Series stage will be Carl Young, who played the part of Dan Emmett in the play “With Pen in Hand” the Dan Emmett Story. That play written by Mike Petee brought the audience the chance to learn about who Dan Emmett was and why he was important. Carl will present portions of that play in a first person living history presentation, with Bill Miller and Mike Petee presenting music written by Dan throughout Carl’s presentation.
 
The Chautauqua will be held on Thursday, January 24 at 7 PM at the Grand Hotel, located at 12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon. Doors open at 6 PM to assist those who might need assistance and have special needs such as walkers, wheel chairs and strollers.
 
These programs are presented on a donation basis and supported by Elixir Presents, the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel. They are family friendly living history presentations that are intended to enhance our understanding of history in a fun and entertaining way.
 
Opening for the program will be Bill Miller, playing minstrel era music on period instruments. Bill and Mike Petee will also perform various Dan Emmett songs during the Dan Emmett presentation. At the conclusion there will be a question and answer period with the audience.
 
For more information about this or upcoming programs in the series, visit www.elixirpresents.com or call 740-392-3018 or 740-392-6102. To receive a “Gentle Reminder” of each program in the Sunday before each performance, please contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

​​MOUNT VERNON - The 7th annual Foodstock concert organized by Elixir Presents benefits the Food for the Hungry drive and will be held at the Knox County Memorial Theater (112 E. High St.) on Tuesday Dec. 4 at 7 PM.
 
This year the program will be a tribute to Tom Petty, who passed away in 2017. The musicians will honor Petty as well as his friends Roy Orbison and George Harrison in a visually faithful look of what the three artists would have looked like and sounded on stage together. Music will include a significant number of Tom Petty songs, as well as selections from Roy Orbison, George Harrison and the Traveling Wilburys.
 
As in past years the musicians from Knox County and surround communities have put together another live concert with special guest John Belushi and a mystery guest, who will make an appearance in the second set.
 
The concert is family friendly and the cost is by donation. Food and needed items, can be found on the www.foodforthehungrycares.org  website.  Money including checks (made out to Food for the Hungry). Each dollar raise equals $10 of buying power at the Central Ohio Food Bank. All proceeds go to the Food for the Hungry campaign.
 
If you are unable to donate or you are one of our needy neighbors, we ask for you to please come and bring your families as this event is also considered a Christmas gift to you from the musicians of Knox County.
 
The doors will open at 6 PM and concert starts at 7 PM.  For more information on this event, visit www.elixirpresents.com or call 740-392-3018.

 
MOUNT VERNON – Starting at the age of 8, he starred on his parents radio and television show, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”. He used the television program to help launch his singing career that racked up 53 songs on the Billboard charts including his first number 1, “Poor Little Fool” and ending with a number 6 hit, “Garden Party.” Desmond Wall will take the Grand Hotel audience on a journey through Nelson’s music and life at The Grand Hotel (12 Public Square), Thursday November 29 at 7 PM.

The Chautauqua Series, sponsored in part by the Ariel Foundation and Grand Hotel, bring year round living history to our community on a donation basis, so you, your family, home schoolers, regular schoolers and friends can enjoy and learn about people from history that goes well beyond what you read in history books. Donations directly to the performers for all their work in researching, writing and bringing these people to life and taking questions from the audience at the end of their presentation.

Opening the program will be the piano stylings of Lowell Borcher. The program will be in the lower level of the hotel at 7 PM on Thursday November 29.  Doors open at 6 PM to accommodate those with special needs.

For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

And remember to join us at the 6th annual Chautauqua Series Foodstock concert at the Memorial Theater on Tuesday December 4 at 7 PM. All food and money go to the annual Food For the Hungry campaign. This year the concert will feature the music of Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison.

President Lincoln to Address Chautauqua Audience
MOUNT VERNON - In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring “a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise,” making it an official national holiday to be observed annually. The proclamation came after a 36-year campaign started by the a woman who became known as the “mother” or “godmother” of Thanksgiving, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale—a magazine editor and writer who  also wrote the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
As an early Thanksgiving present, Elixir Presents, the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel invite you to join us on Thursday, November 8 at the Grand Hotel (12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon) as the Chautauqua Series is proud to present President Abraham Lincoln as our special guest of honor.
Portraying President Lincoln will be Robert Brugler, who seems almost more comfortable portraying the President than portraying Robert Brugler. If you ever wondered what it was like to be in the presence of Lincoln, this will be the closest you’ll ever get.
Opening the program will be the music of FolkTails, bringing alive the music of the 1800’s in their own unique way.
The program is brought to you on a donation basis and the theater room is easily accessible to those with special needs. Doors will open at 6 PM with the program starting at 7 PM. Immediately after President Lincoln’s program is completed, he will take questions from the audience.
For more information on this and upcoming programs in the Chautauqua Series visit www.elixirpresents.com or call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018.  If you would like to receive a “friendly reminder” on the Sunday before each program please send a request to elixir_petee@hotmail.com. 
Mark your calendars for the annual Foodstock concert to benefit the Food For The Hungry campaign. The donation based event will be held at the Memorial Theater in Mount Vernon on Tuesday December 4 at 7 PM and will feature a musical tribute to Tom Petty and Friends. Come and join us and help your needy neighbors at the same time.

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MOUNT VERNON – Have you ever wondered what the people of Pompeii experienced when Mount Vesuvius erupted covering the entire area with lava? The one bright from the disaster was that the site was left kept intact and not rebuilt and archaeologists have been able to piece together what life really was like at that time. According to britannia.com, “The extent of the archaeological sites makes them of the greatest importance, for they provide a unique source of information about so many aspects of social, economic, religious, and political life of the ancient world. The many well-preserved house shrines give a hitherto unexpected picture of the vitality of religion in the family. The bakeries complete with mills, kneading machines, and ovens, some still containing loaves of bread, show how this staple of everyday life was produced. Numerous fulleries (processing and cleaning plants for wool) make it possible to study this important industry. The shops of the sculptor, toolmaker, and gem cutter, as well as the factories for garum (fish sauce) and lamps and the many wine and food shops, document other aspects of ancient life.”

On Thursday, October 25, the Chautauqua Series welcomes Tammy Souhrada will portray a tourist guide the day before Mount Vesuvius erupts at Pompeii. The program will be presented at 12 Public Square, The Grand Hotel in downtown Mount Vernon. The series with support from the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel is organized by Elixir Presents on a donation basis for the education, entertainment for our community. Now in its 12th season the Chautauqua Series, the only year round monthly Chautauqua in the United States, is a wonderful way to learn more about people and times from history that goes well beyond history books or the History Channel.

The Grand Hotel provides a comfortable conference room that is accessible to people with special needs. The doors open to the room at 6 PM with the Mount Vernon Players Shakespeare starting at 7 PM with Tammy taking us on a guided tour of Pompeii at 7:45 followed by a question and answer period immediately after her presentation.
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For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

Chautauqua Highlights the Freedom Riders

MOUNT VERNON – Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists who participated in bus trips through the American South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals. They tried to use “whites-only” restrooms and lunch counters in a non-violent manner at bus stations in Alabama, South Carolina and other Southern states and were confronted by arresting police officers—as well as horrific violence from white protestors—along their routes that drew international attention to their cause.

On Thursday, October 11, the Chautauqua Series welcomes Dr. Annette Jefferson to The Grand Hotel, located at 12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon. Dr. Jefferson has portrayed Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Ethel Waters and Rosa Parks for the series in the past and always has an amazing way of bring history to life and showing the struggles of blacks and whites through the years.

The Grand Hotel provides a comfortable conference room on the lower floor that is easily accessible to people with special needs such as wheel chairs, walkers and baby carriages and is a great setting for these family friendly programs. The doors will open at 6 PM, with opening performers Jeff Putnam, Chris Petee and Mike Petee performing the music of Peter, Paul & Mary starting at 7 PM with Dr. Jefferson at approximately 7:45. Immediately after the presentation Dr. Jefferson will answer any question about this civil rights era and the activities surrounding the Freedom Riders and is a great way to enhance students’ understanding of the period in history.

The Chautauqua’s are organized and presented by Elixir Presents with the support of the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel on a donation basis. For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com or www.VisitKnoxOhio.org. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.
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Finally, mark Tuesday December 4th on your calendar. The annual Food For The Hungry Concert will be held at the Memorial Theater featuring the music of Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and George Harrison and the cost will be a can of food and/or cash for our needy neighbors.
 

Mary Spence portrays Annette Funicello of Mickey Mouse Club and Beach movie fame. Opening the show will be Desmond Wall. Show at The Grand Hotel at 7 PM. Donation based and presented by Elixir Presents, The Ariel Foundation and The Grand Hotel. For more information visit www.elixirpresents.com.

​Chautauqua Series Features Author of Peter Rabbit
MOUNT VERNON – Though Beatrix Potter was typical of women of her generation in having limited opportunities for higher education, her study and watercolors of fungi led to her being widely respected in the field of mycology. In her thirties, Potter self-published the highly successful children's book “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”. Following this, Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full-time, with the proceeds from the books and a legacy from an aunt buying a farm and in the following decades, purchased additional farms to preserve the unique hill country landscape. 
On Thursday, September 13, the Chautauqua Series welcomes Raylene Hlavaty will portray Beatrix Potter in a first person living history format at The Grand Hotel, located at 12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon. The series with support from the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel is organized by Elixir Presents on a donation basis for the education, entertainment and benefit of the community. Now in its 12th season the Chautauqua Series is the only year round monthly Chautauqua in the United States, a wonderful way to learn more about people from history and find out more than the history books tell us.
The Grand Hotel provides a comfortable conference room that is accessible to people with special needs. The doors open to the room at 6 PM, with opening performer Joshua Hlavaty performing music starting at 7 PM with his mom Raylene taking the stage as Beatrix Potter at 7:45 followed by a question and answer period with the Beatrix immediately after her presentation.
For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

​Chautauqua Speaker - Jacob Coxey - Before Ariel Foundation Park and PPG
MOUNT VERNON – Before there was the Ariel Foundation Park, before there was PPG, there was Jacob Coxey’s Steel and Silica Sand Company that graced the property that has become a beautiful recreation and entertainment area for the community.
Coxey built his plant with girders salvaged from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Those same girders today dot the landscape around the ruins. Several walls remain from a 1902 brick building constructed as a steel casting plant by Jacob Coxey. Some may remember that Jacob made it into the history books by leading a group of unemployed workers in one of the first protest marches on Washington, D.C., becoming famous as “Coxey’s Army.”
On Thursday, August 30, the Chautauqua Series welcomes Perry Brokaw will portray Coxey in a first person living history format at The Grand Hotel, located at 12 Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon. The series with support from the Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel is organized by Elixir Presents on a donation basis for the education, entertainment and benefit of the community and is now in its 12th season as the only year round monthly Chautauqua series in the United States and a wonderful way to learn more about people from history and how they were much more than the history books tell us.
The Grand Hotel provides a comfortable conference room that is accessible to people with special needs. The doors open to the room at 6 PM, with opening performer Noah Shull performing music from Coxey’s era starting at 7 PM. Perry Brokaw as Jacob Coxey will start at approximately 7:45 and will take questions immediately after his presentation.
For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.

 MOUNT VERNON – For many of you, the first glimpse of his comedic genius was the Mork & Mindy television show, some witnessed his rapid fire comedy routines, others experienced his dramatic takes in such movies as “Good Will Hunting” or at the other extreme, “Mrs. Doubtfire”. But what you could never forget, once exposed to the man, was his amazing talent that sadly came to an end when he committed suicide that his wife attributed to his struggle with Lewd Body Disease and the opioid he used to try to control it. Carrying on his wide range of character portrayals, Jim Stoner will take the Grand Hotel audience on a journey into the mind of Robin Williams. The Grand Hotel is located in downtown Mount Vernon at 12 Public Square.

The Chautauqua Series, sponsored by Ariel Foundation and the Grand Hotel, bring year round living history to our community on a donation basis, so you, your family, home schoolers, regular schoolers and friends can enjoy and learn more about people from history well beyond what you read in history books or the newspapers. The money taken in donations goes directly to the performers on stage for all their work in researching, writing and bringing these people to life in a fun and entertaining manner and taking questions from the audience at the end of their presentation.

Opening the program will Jeff & Martha presenting a musical program that includes era music and selections just right to set you in the mood for Robin Williams. The program will be in the lower level of the hotel at 7 PM on Thursday August 16 with doors opening at 6 PM to accommodate those with special needs.
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For more information about this program and upcoming presentations, please visit www.elixirpresents.com, www.VisitKnoxOhio.org, or www.wqio.com. You can also call 740-392-6102 or 740-392-3018. If you would like to receive a “Gentle Reminder” email on the Sunday before each program, contact Mike Petee at elixir_petee@hotmail.com.