Join us for Big Top Chautauqua’s traditional season kickoff — a grand celebration that features regional musicians, big screen visuals, and the Native American Blessing of the Tent. This grand reunion marks the official opening of our 38th Summer Concert Season, where audiences will experience the heart and soul of Big Top, the Blue Canvas Orchestra. Ed Willet leads our famed house band — which has graced the Chautauqua stage since our founding in 1986 — as they perform classic Big Top favorites, and selections from our beloved original productions Pickin' on Rock and Back to the Garden: The Music of Woodstock. Their performances will feature an electric blend of string instruments, a driving rhythm section, and stunning voices that together in a rock night that will feel like a Rock n Roll party night.