The first Florida Chautauqua Winter Assembly was scheduled to open in DeFuniak Springs on this date (although delayed until February 15^th to finish construction of the auditorium building). The original Florida Chautauqua Assembly was spearheaded by leaders of the Chautauqua Assembly of Chautauqua, New York who wanted to expand their multi-week program in New York to include a winter program in a warmer climate. The format of the group emphasized religious training and educational activities in areas of philosophy, theology, music and art. The group was also an early proponent childhood education, with some of the first recorded Kindergarten classes in the state being held at this assembly. Entertainment was also established in the form of concerts and lectures geared to be educational in nature. By 1886 visitors to the Assembly attended lectures on Julius Caesar, Cicero’s writings, Rome and Hannibal, Marius and Sulla as well as diverse topics on health, astronomy, and even love and marriage. The Assembly thrived until 1927, and the Florida Chautauqua Association continued until 1935. In 1993, an organization was formed for the sole purpose of reviving, promoting, and sustaining the original Florida Chautauqua Assembly. In 1996, after a hiatus of more than 75 years, organizers officially brought back the Assembly. Much like the original Assembly, the program includes history, health, art, and current events along with entertainment from performers across the country and throughout the world.