North Missouri, on the Dogleg Trail (that's what the stagecoach route through here was called..it's a highway now)

It would fit the wiki Chataqua definition and I really like the texture of the word. In this area, somehow 'chataqua' has come to mean something I would describe as "clueless folks throwing an Art/Culture festival" I think they're an excuse to eat funnel cakes.
So..good word, but it's a little bit tainted in this region.
I have a notion that it'll be easier to get everybody working together toward a common purpose if I start out with a made-up name.

My county is getting a Smithsonian exhibit (Journey Stories) next winter and I stepped up as Second Organizer.
The exhibit will basically be a batch of display boards that cover the US..immigration, dust bowl, civil rights, civil war..the idea is that it shows the journey from early to now. We are going to add some local displays to cover our county in the same way.

I decided that I want to take on the task of recording/archiving the Stories of anybody in the county who wants to talk. I will also work on finding local topics that won't be put on our display boards. Those random topics will be done in the form of a piece of paper to pick up and take.

So..since I will need to meet with folks in each town and encourage them to talk their locals out of the woodwork..and since I have been wanting to do some Community Building..I decided that the best way to get everybody talking (to me and each other) is to give them a party (except they'll really be the ones organizing that..we're just giving them a band and support/guidance)

These little fairs are the party. They're designed to remind folks that we like being rural and also to build local interest in coming to the Journey Stories exhibit when it's here.

These fairs will have sort of a "This is my town" flavor. They will be one day long and aside from the one show, I imagine they'll be mostly mingling on the street. It's a chance for folks to bring out their hobby and show off, for standing around talking about 'good ol days'..locals will be able to put out tables to sell whatever they want with little restriction.
My area had a LOT of music going on for years and there are still plenty of musicians around. I intend to have jam sessions going on all over town through the day.

While all that is going on, I think I am going to run a little circle of Very Beginner Guitar..hoping to have an instrument vendor with several hundred-dollar guitars. I will do the VeryBeginner at every town.

There are ten towns (including unincorporated townships) The Big Doin's will be hosted once in the towns that want one. I hope to draw decent participation within towns, which means each town can go to as many gatherings as they want.
The Doin's will also be advertised in city papers. This is partly so the locals can see that we are kind of interesting..and partly to bring some cityfolk money into the county.

The bands I'm inviting are all somehow tied to our county/history.
My main idea is to boost a little bit of pride and hopefully help my homecounty not be so sad and defeated.