Forty-five performers will pile into the San Juan Community Theater for an event unseen on the islands for nearly seven years. The circus returns to town with the musical vaudeville stylings of the New Old Time Chautauqua on Saturday, May 28.

The band of talented misfits, the last touring Chautauqua in the country, will caravan across the state this summer in a collaborative effort with the Washington State Parks, to reinvigorate people’s desire to visit their state parks.

“It’s supporting a great cause,” said Paul Magid, founding member of NOTC and The Flying Karamazov Brothers. “It’s going to be a great time.”

NOTC was founded in 1981 by a group of performers, health care practitioners, educators, The Flying Karamazov Brothers and Patch Adams with the intention of reviving the Chautauqua spirit of the late 19th, early 20th century.

“When Chautauqua came to town, everything stopped,” explained Magid, detailing the jovial event’s history.

Chautauqua was a movement that started in New York in the 1870s and continued to be popular until 1920s. Hundreds of touring chautauquas would contain lectures, dancing, music, theater and more. The NOTC carrys on the tradition, uniting more than 60 performers and educators each summer to spread joy and knowledge.

Proceeds from the tour of the islands will go toward fees associated with NOTC’s summer state park tour. Over the course of one month, the group will visit seven Washington state parks, and their neighboring towns. NOTC wanted to host a full Chautauqua event on the islands, however the parks here were already booked full for the summer tour.

One important part of the NOTC is its dedication to the rural communities. Magid explained how at each location the Chautauqua visits this summer, it will offer free shows, hold community potlucks, have a parade for anyone to join in and give free workshops on topics like history, learn to juggle and how to fold a fitted sheet.

The goal of the NOTC is to “Shine the light of truth on what’s going on,” said Magid. “[Chautauqua] still exists, we’re still here.”