News Release

Chautauqua Event

NPS Photo/Dan Cox

News Release Date: April 27, 2024

Contact: Cassie Branstetter, 785-839-4233

Nicodemus National Historic Site hosts Chautauqua event
Nicodemus, KS – Nicodemus National Historic Site is pleased to host this year’s Chautauqua event on May 25th, 2024 in the roadside park and Township Hall of Nicodemus, Kansas.
Starting at 1:00 p.m., the afternoon of activities will kick-off with Family History presentations during which local descendants will review the some of the founding families who established Nicodemus in 1877. The local contributions of the Sayers, Napue, Williams, Moore and Jones families will be discussed. At 2:00 p.m., guest musical artist Lem Sheppard will perform musical samples on traditional instruments and review with audience members the under-told story of Kansas African American musicians from 1860-1920. At 3:00 p.m., there will be a viewing of the “Ellis Trail to Nicodemus” documentary recently released by the Nicodemus Historic Society. Descendants of the families portrayed in the documentary will be onsite for discussion after the viewing.
Chautauqua events are a tradition in Nicodemus and stem from when community members gathered outdoors under large tents to experience entertainment, teachers, showmen and musicians. This year’s Chautauqua event is a collaborative effort between the Nicodemus Historic Society and Nicodemus National Historic Site. We look forward to seeing you under the tent in Nicodemus on May 25th, 2024!
To keep informed on more upcoming events at Nicodemus, please look to the Nicodemus National Historic Site social media page www.facebook.com/NicodemusNPS