For the past week, life at the institution was the same as it had been for years.
Adults went away for days to attend church, play badminton, take pottery classes and listen to music on the shores of a lake. As the sun set, children were free to roam.
Thousands of families inside a gated compound are suspicious of an attacker.
On Friday morning, a man with a knife attacked the stage as Rushdie prepared to speak about the United States as a safe haven for writers.
The stage of an amphitheater that is the central forum for one of America's most storied spiritual and cultural retreats was bloodied by the attacker.
Mr. Rushdie was put on a ventilator the night before and remained in the hospital on Saturday. The suspect in the attack was identified by the New York State Police as a New Jersey man named Hadi Matar. He was charged with second degree attempted murder and was in court on Saturday.
Iran's supreme leader ordered Muslims to kill Mr. Rushdie in 1989 after the publication of his novel "The Satanic Verses." There are social media accounts that suggest Mr. Matar is in favor of Islam.
The American institution at the heart of mainline Protestantism was brought to its knees by the spasm of violence. The attack on Mr. Rushdie shattered the sense of calm that many families felt at the time.
A writer from Santa Monica, Calif., who was at the event with her family, said that Chautauqua felt like an es capist utopia. It's a place where kids can be free and take leaps of independence, more so than anywhere else.
Founded in 1874 by Lewis Miller and John HeylVincent as an educational experiment in "vacation learning", the community grew into a community for other Protestant denominations as well.
There is a movie called "Midnight's Children" The second novel by Rushdie, about modern India's coming-of-age, became an international success. Saleem Sinai was born at the time of India's independence.
The Satanic Verses was written in the late 80's. The depiction of the prophet Muhammad in Mr. Rushdie's fourth novel sparked a furor that spread around the world. The supreme leader of Iran called for Muslims to kill the author of the book after finding it offensive. Mr. Rushdie hid for a long time.
There is a novel called "The Moor's Last Sigh". The downward spiral of expectations experienced by India after independence was traced in Mr. Rushdie's novel.
The movie, "Fury", was released in 2001. The novel was published after Mr Rushdie moved to New York. The reviewer of Rushdie's novel said that he has never been so present as in it.
There is a song called "Joseph Anton" Mr. Rushdie had an experience after the fatwa was issued. The book is named after Mr. Rushdie, who was in hiding, and is named after two of his favorite authors. The book talks about Mr. Rushdie's childhood and alcoholic father.
The institution flourished and spawned a movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. The institution has featured notable writers and thinkers over the years.
The Chautauqua Institution, which is about an hour south of Buffalo, is mostly the same as it was 100 years ago. There are lawn bowling courts and art galleries on the grounds of the hotel.
A few hundred residents stay on the grounds year-round and the population swells during a nine-week summer season when homeowners and guests flock to the institution for a feast of cultural programming. Mr. Rushdie spoke at 10:45 a.m.
Despite living in a fortified safe house in London for 10 years after a price was put on his head, Mr. Rushdie has continued to make public appearances.
The attacker rushed down an aisle of the amphitheater after Mr. Rushdie took the stage. The attacker stabbed Mr. Rushdie while he was waiting for the talk to start.
Audience members rushed the stage and separated the attacker from the author. An officer from the New York State Police arrived at the scene and arrested the attacker.
Doctors in the audience put pressure on Rushdie's wounds as he lay bleeding on the stage. He was flown to a hospital in Pennsylvania.
The security at the institution is not very high. While all visitors to the community must have a pass to enter the grounds during the summer, there is little police presence inside the campus. Some high-profile events have a uniformed officer on site, while most events have community safety officers who are not.
There are no bag checks or metal detector at the main amphitheater.
According to more than a dozen witnesses, the attacker reached Mr. Rushdie quickly.
John said there was a big security lapse. It was frightening to know that someone could get that close.
The police were slow in responding, according to another witness. She stated that the amphitheater is a soft target. There was no visible security at the venue. The cops were not the first people on stage.
The attack began while Chuck Koch was seated in the second row and he ran to help.
He said he remembers when the fatwa was put on him. There was only one security guard outside the gate. There was no security by the stage.
According to two people familiar with the discussions, some former employees of the amphitheater called on management to put in tighter security, including bag checks, metal detectors and closer screening. The suggestions were dismissed for fear of disrupting the tranquil atmosphere.
Michael Hill said that management did not resist calls for enhanced security.
He said in an interview on Saturday that there had been no resistance or refusal to listen to the advice of experts.
According to Mr. Hill, the institution tries to provide security while preserving a peaceful environment.
Mr. Hill said that the only way to make sure nothing happens at Chautauqua is to lock it all down and make it a police state. Lining the place with an army was not going to change anything.
The head of security for the institution retired a year ago. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, state police and the county sheriff were consulted by Mr. Hill's staff to discuss potential threats and there was additional security for Mr. Rushdie's talk.
Mr. Hill said that questions of security were important to them. We will look at that in light of what happened yesterday.
Several people said they saw Mr. Matar there as early as Tuesday. Ms. Ayerbe said she had seen him at the amphitheater.
The attack shattered the sense of calm at the retreat, leading guests to wonder what would become of it.
Dennis Ford, a long time local resident, said that they started bringing their children here. The place was different from the real world. That is the way it is now.
The fact that the attack may have been motivated by an assault on free expression was troubling to visitors of the institution.
The best of what Western culture has to offer is represented by it. People are supposed to be able to disagree with one another. It's ironic that this happened in Chautauqua.
Scenes of small-town charm were contrasted with images of violence. A police officer with a bomb sniffing dog inspects backpacks at a craft fair in the main plaza. The waterfront was closed and programs were canceled as police searched the woods for more threats.
On Friday night, a group of people gathered at the Hall of Philosophy to remember Mr. Rushdie. Many people cried and a pastor invited them to shout out their thoughts.
One voice said that everyone is important in the eyes of God.
Another person said, "God bless Chautauqua."
"Hate can't win"
Mr. Hill said that he was committed to fulfilling the institution's mission of creating an inclusive forum for free expression.
He said that they would do their soul-searching at the school. We are going back to our pulpits and to our podiums.
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