Publicity announced the Red Path Chautauqua – 7 Big Days Including a Two Day Grand Musical Festival. Bohumir Kryl and His Band – The Ben Greet Players – Grand Opera, Light Opera, Bell Ringing, Magic, Oratory, Humor, Instruction, Inspiration, Literary Lectures, and Playground worker.
The 1914 season included The Weatherwax Quartet and the David Duggan Grand Opera Company.
Chautauqua Week featured Creatore’s Band, Mikado light Opera Co. Creatore’s is one of the greatest bands (and) has had a striking influence in the development of band music. Gilbert and Sullivan’s light opera, ‘The Mikado’ is an elaborate production for which the tent at night will take on the appearance of an oriental garden. There will be community singing each day under the direction of a talented leader. Antonio Sala, noted Spanish ‘cellist and Watahwaso, an Indian princess in Indian costume singing Indian songs and telling Indian legends. Provided that Congress is not in session, Miss Jeanette Rankin, America’s first congresswoman, will be one of the headline lecturers…The Oratorio Artists, which come on the third day, is one of the standard high class quartets of this generation.
For many years entertainers on the Red Path Circuit brought the most famous entertainers to Florence including: the Russian Symphony Orchestra, The Grandest Offering Florence has had, the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Famous Ben Green Players in Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like it’.
Venues where concerts, lectures and events were presented brought the nationally acclaimed personalities to Florence which included:
Coffee High School:
Cossack Chorus to appear under pilot auspices: The original Don Cossack Chorus and Dancers.
Princess Theatre:
Entertainers, lectures, and theatrical productions included President William Howard Taft, Will Rogers, Roy Rogers, The Mills Brothers, Gene Autry, The Cincinnati symphony Orchestra, and others.
Florence Normal School:
The lineup included Alvin York, presentation of a complete set of McGuffey’s Readers by representatives of Henry Ford, Carl Sandburg, Max Mortor, among others
The Fairgrounds:
Entertainers included “Hells Riders” Motorcycle extravaganza, Hoot Gibson, The State Fair, Sally Rand, and others.
