Saturday, September 24, promises to be an interesting day in Waxahachie.
A day-long “World of Water” celebration will feature Fabien Cousteau, first grandson of legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, as keynote speaker, but also includes a diverse lineup of presentations as part of the 2016 Chautauqua Annual Assembly at the Waxahachie Chautauqua Center.
Cousteau is a noted filmmaker and, in 2014, spent 31 days with a team aboard Aquarius, a research vessel submerged off the Florida Keys, as a tribute to his grandfather’s 30-day undersea voyage in 1963.
Celebrating water throughout history – programs explore the past and look to the future, and feature water topics as experienced through science, art and music. All lectures, demonstrations and performances take place on the tree-filled grounds of Getzendaner Park in Waxahachie, an easy 30-mile drive south of the DFW Metroplex.
“Texas Bubblelady” Linda Berman of Flower Mound will demonstrate soap bubble artistry; scheduled musical presentations include traditional Sea Shanties as well as harpsichord and vocal renditions of classic “water songs,” a presentation featuring “musical glasses” by Brian Engel, and the story of excavating La Belle, a French ship that ran aground along the Texas coast in 1687.
Green Phoenix Farms CEO David Cohen will speak on Aquaponics, an ancient water-friendly farming method for the future, and “Heroes on the Water representative George Chrisman will talk about how his organization helps returning veterans to heal through a program of fishing from kayaks.
For program descriptions, click here.
The day’s activities begin at 9 a.m. with “Old Time Gospel Songs of Water,” following by opening ceremonies in the Auditorium at 9:30.
Cousteau takes to the presentation stage from 10 to 11 a.m.
From 4 to 5 p.m., a Texas A&M University Chemistry Roadshow is scheduled in the park Presentation Tent. Throughout the day, concurrent presentations are planned in the presentation tent and in the auditorium, as well as outdoor activities in the park, including a drone demonstration. Another tent will allow visitors to see various water exhibits and speak to presenters from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. View the complete schedule.
Events are open to the public, free of charge, with no registration or reservations required. Attendees may come and go as desired. The Chautauqua Annual Assembly is a continuation of a century-plus tradition in Waxahachie, the modern version of an experience that was initiated in Chautauqua, N.Y. in 1874 as a summer retreat for Sunday School teachers.
Between 1900 and 1930, Waxahachie Chautauqua offered two weeks of “education, culture, art, and recreation” to area residents. The impressive open-air octagonal auditorium was originally built in 1902, but fell into disrepair; it was saved through community efforts in 1970 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places, and proudly claims a Texas Historical Marker.
This year, participants are asked to bring a small vial of water from a favorite source: They will be mixed together as part of the symbolic opening ceremony. Water directly from Lake Chautauqua in New York will form the base for the water collection.