Join former NASA astronaut Mike Mullane as he shares captivating stories from his three Space Shuttle missions during the 1980s. With humor, insight, and inspiration, Mullane takes audiences behind the scenes of America’s early space program—highlighting the challenges, teamwork, and courage that defined the era. This keynote promises an unforgettable journey through space exploration history at the 2026 Florida Chautauqua Assembly. Breakfast served from 8:30am–9:00am, followed by the keynote presentation. 

Join us at the 2026 Assembly for a keynote presentation featuring acclaimed actor Joe Pantoliano, whose career spans decades across film, television, and theater. From iconic roles in The Matrix, The Sopranos, and Memento to his candid advocacy for mental health awareness, Pantoliano brings insight, honesty, and wit to a conversation about creativity, resilience, and life in the public eye. The keynote will be followed by a Q&A session, offering attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the speaker. Breakfast served from 8:30am–9:00am, followed by the keynote presentation.

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea while exploring the art and history of Native American finger weaving—an intricate textile tradition that experienced a cultural revival in the 1980s. This special presentation features a live demonstration and an engaging talk that highlights the techniques, patterns, and stories behind this ancient craft. Guests will learn how finger weaving has been preserved, revitalized, and celebrated across generations, all while enjoying an elegant afternoon English tea with hors d'oeuvres served on hand-painted China by local porcelain artists. 

Let’s have a whimsical discussion over tea about a magical place founded in Florida in 1986 where the mayor of a Village is a big bunny rabbit, where Wish kids and their families can have ice cream for breakfast, where Christmas is celebrated every week, and every day is an incredible theme park journey to Disney, Universal and Sea World.  Presented by Guest Experience Coordinator Christopher Mitchell of Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida who will explain the unique experience available to families with children facing terminal or life-threatening illnesses and how this power of happy therapy can inspire hope and transform lives.

This talk explores the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear disaster of April 26, 1986—one of the most significant technological failures in modern history. We will examine the sequence of events that led to the explosion at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine, the human and environmental cost of the disaster, and the long-term effects that continue to shape global nuclear policy. The session will also shed light on the heroism of the first responders, the secrecy of the Soviet response, and the lessons learned in the decades since. Through historical analysis and scientific context, the talk aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how a single event reshaped our perception of nuclear energy forever.

Greg was an eyewitness to the collapse of communism. Living and working in Poland from 1986 to 1990, he saw the rot finally give way and knew many of the people who became household names. But what he saw went mostly unreported and has since fallen by the wayside before new narratives had been woven about why communism fell. Greg will share some of those stories about himself and real persons in Poland: what they faced, how they coped, and how they overcame enormous obstacles to refute and defeat Marx and Lenin.

President Jimmy Carter returned from The White House in 1981, opened The Carter Center in Atlanta in 1986, and  “waged peace” around the world by eradicating disease, helping poor farmers in Africa grow their food more efficiently, and stopping civil wars.  Presenter Christopher Mitchell, pictured far right in the photo, traveled with the Carters to many of these countries in support of their work throughout central Africa in 1988 and is referenced numerous times in President Carter’s revised edition of An Outdoor Journal.  Hear about the adventures of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with the Carters,  the visits to primitive villages deep in the rainforests of Africa as The Carter Center’s work began to eradicate Guinea Worm from the face of the earth, the overnight stay in the palace of the Ethiopian president as the Eritrean fighters vowed to attack the capitol city and overthrow the government, and Chris’s work in overseeing the replication of the Oval Office for a permanent exhibit in the Museum of the Jimmy Carter Library.  This portion of the presentation was also provided in Plains, GA and attended by the Carters.  Chris will also reflect on his goodbyes to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at their funerals in Atlanta and Plains, GA.

Explore historic DeFuniak Springs with local historian Robert Daniel. Learn about the original Florida Chautauqua that took place from 1885-1928 by hearing local stories and seeing beautiful Victorian structures, including the recently restored Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood. 

Friday, January 30