Mountain Lake Park Announces the 2020 Victorian Chautauqua

Mountain Lake Park Mayor Don Sincell noticed that of all the towns in Garrett County, the town he was elected to serve was one of the few that didn’t have an annual festival of its own. 

“Grantsville has Grantsville Days, Friendsville has Friendsville Days, and Oakland hosts the Grand Feature Parade for Autumn Glory,” said the recently elected Mayor. “We [Mountain Lake Park] have the largest residential population, and we should be celebrating our heritage.”

Sincell's wish was realized when Maryland Humanities and Garrett Lakes Arts Festival held its annual Chautauqua with a three-day event in Mountain Lake Park in 2019 following the 4th of July. The event is traditionally held on the Garrett College campus. Still, to celebrate Maryland Humanities' 25th anniversary, the planning committee returned it to the state's original Chautauqua location, Mountain Lake Park. Maryland Humanities Chautauqua will return to the college in 2020 with its usual programming, while Mountain Lake Park will continue hosting its own Chautauqua event on Saturday, July 11th, and Sunday, July 12th.

Every July 5th,6th, and 7th, Maryland Humanities' Chautauqua state tour kicks off in Garrett County. The 2019 event occurred under a 40 by 80-foot tent pitched on the corner of Spruce and H Streets in Mountain Lake Park. Nestled in the registered Historic District, just one block from where the 5,000-seat Bashford Amphitheater once stood, the historic location made for a unique experience loaded with ambiance. 

“We were happy to host this year's event,” said Sincell who donned a period tuxedo and top hat throughout the weekend. “Mountain Lake Park was founded as a Chautauqua community so reviving programming of this nature in our town was a perfect fit.”

Mountain Lake Park was the first Chautauqua established in Maryland in 1881 by a group of Methodist ministers and businessmen who saw the mountain resort as an appealing escape for people looking for cultural and spiritual renewal in the comfort of the cool, clean summer mountain air. The resort was modeled after a resort town in southwestern New York, situated on Chautauqua Lake, and was the birthplace of this 19th-century cultural and educational movement. Chautauqua settlements popped up all over the country to mimic the growing popularity that was playing out in New York. Maryland has the distinction of being the second Chautauqua in the nation, patterned after the original New York institution. 

In the spirit of an earlier time, the July weekend event – in addition to Maryland Humanities' performers – offered guest lecturers, musical performances, food vendors, and historic home tours. Sincell, along with committee members who organized the 2019 event, realized they yearned for this to become a signature annual event for Mountain Lake Park, with the understanding the Maryland Humanities Chautauqua would be returning to Garrett College in 2020. To distinguish Mountain Lake Park's event, the committee decided to rename the festival the "Victorian Chautauqua," which celebrates and honors the town’s founding years in the late 1800s.

Adding to the visitor experience are the many people who volunteer for the event or are residents of the charming neighborhood dressed in period attire.

“People coming to the Victorian Chautauqua will experience the event much like those who first visited via the railroad in the 1800s and into the early 1900s," said Sincell. "Although it's not a requirement, I suspect more people will dress in costume as the Victorian Chautauqua grows. Everyone enjoyed that part of it, which made for some great photo opportunities."

Traditionally, Chautauqua programs lasted throughout the summer months when people would escape congested city life. In Mountain Lake Park, summer cottages, boarding homes, and the Mountain Lake Hotel provided temporary housing. For those with more modest means, affordable campgrounds allowed guests to set up tents. Visitors would drink in multicultural and educational experiences all compatible with the Methodist faith. The original rules of taking up residency in the "Park” were strict, prohibiting many vices of the time, such as alcohol consumption, card playing, dancing, and smoking. Because of this, the town was lauded to be a planned community “free of sin”, something that was considered rare, even at that time.

The committee for the 2020 Victorian Chautauqua first assembled to determine the logistics of taking on an event independent of the previous supporting partners. They concluded that Chautauqua could continue with the town's financial assistance, grant funding, sponsorships, and private donations. Their ultimate goal is to have it become self-sustaining within five years. 

"Funding will obviously be an important aspect to launch the Victorian Chautauqua," said Bob Spear, committee chair. "After reviewing the 2019 budget, and tweaking our plans for 2020, we're confident we can put together an exciting and full event."

Lori Youse, who sits on the Program Committee with Mary Helen Spear, helped to assemble a list of potential presenters for the 2020 event. 

"I volunteered at the 2019 event, so it wasn't too difficult to come up with some ideas of what we could do next time," said Youse. I had to pare down my original wish list to fit all the programs within the available time in the schedule." 

Youse and the entire committee are enthusiastic about the premiere of the Victorian Chautauqua, which has one event of this nature already under their belts. They admit there are always challenges in assembling a great event, but much was learned from their first run to guide them, according to Youse. 

"We had a very full and rich program last July," said Mary Helen Spear, who chaired the 2019 Mountain Chautauqua committee. "We want to build more time into the 2020 schedule between performances so people moving between the venues don't have to rush." 

Spear noted that the committee also wanted plenty of time to socialize between presentations since spontaneous conversations would erupt before and after scheduled performances. 

"This is a community event," said Sincell. "So, we want to make sure people have time just to enjoy each other's company too. It's wonderful to see people anxious to share their experience with friends, family, or strangers following a presentation."

Although they are still in the planning stages, the committee is asking for volunteers who want to participate. They will also seek additional event sponsors to partner in raising awareness and to help fund the event.

"Mountain Lake Park has a lot of proud businesses and residents who would enjoy getting behind the Victorian Chautauqua," Sincell explained. "Some can lend financial support, and others can volunteer their time. I'm really looking forward to showcasing our town and its rich history in all its glory next July."

The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12. Anyone wishing to participate or lend financial support can email VictorianChautauqua@gmail.com. Two fundraisers are already scheduled and can be found on the website's VC Market page. The www.VictorianChautauqua.com website has a full list of programming and history around the event. Visitors can sign up for email updates on the Victorian Chautauqua website and subscribe to the event blog. Information will also be shared on the Mountain Lake Park Facebook page, and the Victorian Chautauqua can be followed on Instagram and Twitter, too.