The place of Grace Farms, home to 80 acres of natural landscapes and the SANAA-designed River building, turns into a living classroom of awe and wonder during the summer months. Visitors can enjoy nature trails, programing from garden workshops to learning about bees, as well as relax with friends and family over a picnic meal prepared by our culinary team.
We also invite visitors to attend our Voices of Culture musical performances and thought-provoking programs that reflect Grace Farms Foundation’s work and mission to pursue a more peaceful world. These programs also engage local and global communities with our work to raise awareness of, and eliminate, forced labor in the building materials supply chain through the growing Design for Freedom movement, and supported by Certified B Corp, Grace Farms Foods.
We are free and open to the public six days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm and 12 to 5 pm on Sunday. Stay abreast of our events and programing and sign up for our newsletter.
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Below are seasonal highlights from May through August as well as ongoing programing, tours, and exhibits.
May Highlights
Exhibit Opening
With Every Fiber
With Every Fiber Exhibit photo. This new long-term exhibit, which opens to the public on May 4th, is designed by Studio Cooke John, with Pentagram, and offers cross-sector insights into the scope of the problem and proposes strategies and practices to address it through a series of material studies, including timber, steel, concrete, and textiles. The Exhibit is curated by Chelsea Thatcher, Grace Farms’ Chief Strategy Officer and Founding Creative Director. Photo by Dean Kaufman
Saturday, May 4 | West Barn
Design for Freedom is Grace Farms Foundation’s ongoing work to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain. This permanent exhibit, designed by Studio Cooke John, with Pentagram, offers cross-sector insights into the scope of the problem and proposes strategies and practices to address it through a series of material studies, including timber, steel, concrete, and textiles.
A space for both education and contemplation, the exhibit features innovative solutions, including a tapestry of bio-based materials designed by the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture, alongside contributions from poets, photographers, theologians, and others who remind us to consider the relationships inherent in the questions central to Design for Freedom: where do our building materials come from and are they made with fair labor?
Understanding that humanity touches every single step along the way allows us to reimagine how architecture fits into the rest of our lives. — Nina Cooke John
Voices of Culture
featuring Rishab Rikhiram Sharma
Saturday, May 18 | 7:30 – 9 pm
Friends of Grace Farms Reception | 6 – 7:30 pm
Sitarist, music producer, and composer Rishab Rikhiram Sharma captivates audiences around the world with his showstopping improvisations and Bollywood-inspired beats. His ability to fuse melodies traditional to the sitar with sounds of soulful jazz and blues is a testament of his musical prowess. Sharma has performed at the White House — the first sitarist invited to play solo — during a Diwali event hosted by the Biden administration. He is also an advocate for mental wellness through music therapy. Voices of Culture is an unforgettable concert and conversation series exploring beauty in different musical traditions, where world-renowned artists perform and discuss their work with Grace Farms Music Director Marcus G. Miller.
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma
$40 | member: $32
The next Voices of Culture concert will take place on Saturday, September 28.
Commons Birdwatching Walks Saturdays in May |11 am – 12 pm
Birdwatchers of all experience levels are guided through our scenic nature trails to spot migratory birds returning north after the winter.
$10 | member: free
Gardening Workshop | Companion Planting Saturday, May 18 | 11 am – 12 pm
Tour our Community Garden while exploring how to use companion plants in your own vegetable garden to increase pollination and suppress diseases and pests.
$15 | member: $12
Dinner with a Purpose Featuring Lauren Bush Lauren
Wednesday, May 22 | 6:30 – 9 pm
Join us for a picturesque spring evening with FEED Founder & Chief Brand Officer Lauren Bush Lauren.
FEED Founder & Chief Brand Officer Lauren Bush Lauren
Begin the evening with refreshing cocktails and a conversation about female leadership, social entrepreneurship, and innovative ways to address food insecurity between Lauren and Grace Farms Senior Program Officer Karen Kariuki.
Afterwards, enjoy a delicious dinner featuring a local and sustainable menu in the Commons, surrounded by the scenic backdrop of Grace Farms’ 80 acres.
Limited seats are available; early registration is recommended.
This evening is hosted in collaboration with FEED Foundation.
Proceeds from the dinner support the work of Grace Farms Foundation.
$150 | member: $120
Nature’s Classroom | The Living World of Soil
Saturday, May 25 | 11 am – 12 pm
Did you know there are more living things in one tablespoon of soil than there are people on the earth? Discover the living, moving, changing world of soil — fundamental to the ecology of all species — with our Director of Horticulture, Kimberly Kelly.
$10 | member: $8 | children: $5
June Highlights
Book Launch and Conversation
The Profiteers and Better Business Pioneers Thursday, June 6 | 7 – 9 pm
Join the conscious consumer movement at the launch of The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost by Christopher Marquis, the Sinyi Professor at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, award-winning author, and expert on better business and the B Corp movement. Marquis will keynote insightful findings from his most recent book after a special introduction by Jorge Fontanez, CEO of B Lab US/Canada. This engaging evening will also include a dynamic discussion between impactful leaders Joe Kenner, CEO of Greyston Bakery, Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder of Grace Farms, and Aidaly Sosa Walker, Head of Marketing USA at Tony’s Chocolonely. A book signing, complete with brownies and chocolates, will follow. Hosted in partnership with B Local CT.
$15 | member: $12
Christopher Marquis, the Sinyi Professor at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, award-winning author, and expert on better business and the B Corp movement.
Textile Workshops | Returning Summer 2024
This summer, join us for all-new editions of our textile workshops! In 2023, we invited you to harvest goldenrod, extend the life of textiles through mending, and explore the native plants that can be transformed into fabric.
Our refreshed textile workshops expand on our new exhibit, With
Every Fiber, creating opportunities to interact with sustainable materials, all while establishing a new lens to view the material world around us.
Visit gracefarms.org/events to learn more about this series.
Animal Encounters with the New Canaan Nature Center Saturday, June 8 | 1:30 – 2:30 pm
This drop-in program brings the whole family face-to-face with a range of friendly animals.
The New Canaan Nature Center is a nonprofit environmental education organization dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to respect, protect, and enjoy the world of nature.
free
Summer Picnic
Friday, June 14 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Join us for the first picnic of the summer! Gather the family for a fun-packed Friday night picnic featuring a delicious meal prepared by our culinary team, with lawn games, summer-themed crafts, and extended hours in the Community Garden.
$22 | member: $18 | children: $16
Gardening Workshop | Learn About Beekeeping
Saturday, June 15 | 11 am – 12 pm
Explore the world of bees, learning everything you need to know about starting a beehive in your backyard. Enjoy a refreshing mocktail crafted with local honey by Founding Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones.
$15 | member: $12
Nature’s Classroom | Nature’s Nursery
Saturday, June 22 | 11 am – 12pm
Learn all about natural plant propagation and how plants flourish in nature with our Director of Horticulture, Kimberly Kelly, who will discuss why letting nature do its work is sustainable and extremely beneficial to the environment.
$10 | member: $8 | children: $5
July Highlights
Summer Concert | Rick Snell
Saturday, July 20 | 4:30 – 6 pm
Join us for a lively summer afternoon with bluegrass singer-songwriter Rick Snell!
Steeped in quintessentially American genres, Snell’s music encompasses influence from blues, folk, jazz, and country. His playing, nostalgic and energetic, is sure to get the entire family up and dancing in the Sanctuary aisles.
Snell founded and hosts Mona’s Bluegrass Session, where audiences can gather to hear the best bluegrass music in New York City. In 2022, he played the mandolin/guitar chair in the National Broadway tour of Oklahoma!, and he currently subs the guitar/mandolin chair at Fiddler On the Roof at New World Stages. He has toured nationally in support of Regina Spektor with Only Son.
This seasonal music series is curated by our Music Director, Marcus G. Miller.
$10 | member: $8 | children: free
Bluegrass singer-songwriter Rick Snell
Summer Picnic
Friday, July 12 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Savor these long days and warm evenings at our monthly Friday night picnic! Families are invited to enjoy a delicious dinner made by our culinary team, play lawn games, take part in summer-themed crafts designed by our educators, and see what’s growing in the Community Garden.
$22 | member: $18 | children: $16
Animal Encounters with the New Canaan Nature Center Saturday, July 13 | 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Stroll through the plaza to come face-to-face with a rotating group of friendly animals ready to greet visitors of any age. In case of rain, this program will take place inside the West Barn.
A nonprofit environmental education organization, the New Canaan Nature Center dedicates its work to inspiring people of all ages to respect, protect, and enjoy the natural world.
free
Gardening Workshop | Home Herb Garden
Saturday, July 20 | 11 am – 12 pm
You can grow herbs anywhere! Gardeners of all experience levels are invited to step into the Community Garden to explore the ease of planting and growing fresh herbs in gardens, on patios, or on windowsills.
During this hands-on class, discuss how to dry herbs — like lavender or chamomile — or how to prepare them to accompany any delicious meal.
Herb plants will be provided for participants to take home.
$15 | member: $12
Our Community Garden, a 1,450-square-foot growing space that serves as a living classroom for our programs, as well as provides fresh produce to our nonprofit partners working on the frontlines of feeding those in need.
Nature’s Classroom | Fireflies and Dragonflies
Saturday, July 27 | 11 am – 12 pm
On this nature walk guided by our Director of Horticulture, Kimberly Kelly, discover the habitat and amazing life cycles of dragonflies and fireflies and examine how the presence of both insects is a sign of a healthy ecosystem.
This walk is recommended for children ages 12 and up. Please wear footwear that is appropriate for unpaved nature trails.
$10 | member: $8 | children: $5
August Highlights
Beauty & Logic | Cymatics
Saturday, August 24 | 7:30 – 9 pm
Explore cymatics, the investigation of how sound makes materials vibrate and the patterns that emerge from this vibration.
Beauty and Logic is a unique math-meets-music experience exploring the sounds we love and the equations that make them possible.
These educational concerts, fusing bold musical performances with brief dives into the math behind the sounds and vibrations, are hosted by Grace Farms Music Director, saxophonist, and trained mathematician, Marcus G. Miller, who performs with this band, IMW.
Marcus G. Miller, left, who performs with this band, IMW.
$20 | member: $16
Summer Picnic
Friday, August 9 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Come together with family, neighbors, and friends to celebrate the end of an incredible season! During our last summer picnic, enjoy a delicious meal prepared by our culinary team, play lawn games, create summer-themed crafts, and step into the Community Garden during the extended hours.
$22 | member: $18 | children: $16
Animal Encounters with the New Canaan Nature Center Saturday, August 10 | 1:30 – 2:30 pm
This drop-in program encourages the whole family to enjoy the outdoors and interact with a range of friendly animals from the New Canaan Nature Center. In case of rain, this program will take place inside the West Barn.
free
Gardening Workshop | Garden Harvest for Donation Saturday, August 17 | 11 am – 12 pm
Step into the Community Garden to pick summer vegetables, fruits, and herbs for donation to our local food relief partner, Person to Person. This harvesting experience brings you up-close to native flowering plants that provide food for our foraging bees and includes a honey tasting and cup of iced tea.
$15 | member: $12
Nature’s Classroom | Butterflies & Moths
Saturday, August 24 | 11 am – 12 pm
Learn about the butterflies and moths you’ll find in Connecticut from our Director of Horticulture, Kimberly Kelly. Explore how and where they spend their lives, and all the ways you can create more habitats for these incredible pollinators in your own yard or community.
Kelly has over 25 years of experience facilitating and educating about nature conservation and sustainable land use practices. She is the President of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Butterfly Exhibitors and Suppliers.
$10 | member: $8 | children: $5
Summer Vacation Passport
Tuesday, August 20 – Friday, August 23 daily | 10 am – 12 pm
Families, pick up a passport at the Welcome Desk and embark on
a fun-filled day trip along the River building! This summer break week invites children of all ages to collect special stamps at activities led by our educators, including our Horticulture Director Kimberly Kelly. Building on the incredibly popular Winter Passport week this past February, each morning features a rotating offering of family- friendly activities:
- Build a summer fort in the Imagination Playground
- Create seasonal art
- Explore the nature preserve to spot colorful birds, busy butterflies, and the flourishing plants in bloom
free
Wellness & Tea
Center and connect with your community through curated wellness classes inspired by and paired with Grace Farms’ signature teas. Accessible to all experience levels.
$20 per class | member: $16
Yoga and Movement with Pilin Anice
Monthly on Saturdays | 10:30 am – 12 pm May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3
Experience movement and music in the light-filled Court with renowned yoga, dance, and meditation instructor, Pilin Anice. A faculty member at Kripalu and Ailey Extension, Pilin’s practice takes participants through a breath-centered yoga practice.
Move with Grace Farms x lululemon
Monthly on Saturdays | 10:30 am – 12 pm May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17
Embark on a wellness adventure with our unique series developed in collaboration with local lululemon ambassadors. Explore a range of practices including barre, yoga, and more for a well-rounded approach to fitness and well-being.
Journey Into the World of Tea
This tranquil and in-depth exploration of tea offers guests a taste of different notable varietals from cultures around the world, demonstrations, and more, led by Tea Expert and Educator Frank Kwei.
$15 per class | member: $12
White and Green Teas from China and Japan
Wednesday, May 29 | 1 – 2:30 pm
Chinese Oolong and Pu-erh Teas
Wednesday, July 31 | 1 – 2:30 pm
Afternoon Tea
Monthly on Fridays | 3 – 4:30 pm
May 17, June 21, July 19, and August 16
Gather with friends in the glass-enclosed Pavilion for a social afternoon inspired by English tea service! Enjoy a warm pot of tea with tasty English and Japanese-inspired bites created by our Founding Pastry Chef and Educator, Leah Jones.
$30 | member: $24
pastries & perspectives
Chef’s Palate
Join Leah Jones, Grace Farms founding pastry chef and educator, for educational conversations designed to inspire new perspectives on everyday ingredients, groceries, and meals.
Jones has more than 15 years of food service and culinary experience and is behind the incredible array of freshly baked goods, from savory scones to sweet croissants, available on your daily visit. She has been with us since our opening in 2015.
$15 | member: $12
Global Groceries
Sundays, May 12 & July 14 | 3 – 4 pm
Explore the origins of popular ingredients during this deep dive into the relationship between groceries and geography. Learn about the journey your food takes before it arrives on your plate, and why shopping seasonally can help create delicious dishes, and more.
Crafting Tea-Based Mocktails
Sundays, June 9 & August 11 | 3 – 4 pm
Learn how to mix your own summery tea-based drinks! Experiment with ethically sourced herbal teas from Certified B Corp Grace Farms Foods while learning how to craft custom-made mocktails that can support any wellness journey.
Looking Ahead
architecture moves us
9th Annual Benefit
featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra Save the date | Monday, October 21
Celebrate Grace Farms’ ninth anniversary with an awe-inspiring evening performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Surrounded by picturesque autumnal foliage in the glass-enclosed Sanctuary, a chamber ensemble of musicians from the Orchestra, conducted by LPO 2023/24 Fellow Conductor Luis Castillo-Briceño, will present a moving program that incorporates our theme Architecture Moves Us and illuminates the purpose of our Foundation.
Following the performance, join us for a cocktail reception as we toast to nine incredible years of culture, collaboration, and new outcomes at Grace Farms.
Grace Farms Foundation’s annual benefit contributes to the ongoing preservation and sustainability of Grace Farms.
For more information, please visit gracefarms.org.
ongoing children & family programs
Imagination Playground
daily
Build skills, solve problems, and make friends using an innovative system of large-scale, lightweight blocks designed by architect David Rockwell to encourage fun and learning through curiosity-driven play.
free
Bunny Book Group
Tuesdays | 3 – 3:30 pm and Fridays | 11 – 11:30 am
Listen to stories, move around, and take part in arts and crafts in this half-hour designed to engage our youngest visitors with the architecture, landscape, and community of Grace Farms.
free
Open Arts Studio
Thursdays | 1 – 5 pm and Saturdays | 10 am – 2 pm
Think, play, create, and experiment with sensory-rich materials and different modes of artmaking! This season, the studio takes inspiration from the innovative materials and processes developed by our partners at the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (CEA), whose work is featured in our new With Every Fiber exhibit.
With Every Fiber features an installation by Yale CEA made from sustainable materials and developed by farmers from Japan to Mexico. This installation is the inspiration for these exciting and new hands-on family activities including bark cloth, wool felt, cane webbing, and more!
$5 | member: free
exhibits on view
Peace Forest
West Barn
What is Grace Farms and how does Grace Farms Foundation advance good in the world? Explore Peace Forest, an immersive installation inspired by nature, offering visitors an interactive experience highlighting how the landscape, architecture, and people at Grace Farms are part of the Foundation’s mission.
The exhibit is curated by Grace Farms Chief Strategic Officer Chelsea Thatcher, and designed by Peter Miller (Palette Architecture) and Shohei Yoshida (shohei yoshida + associates / SYA), members of the architectural team of the award-winning SANAA-designed River building at Grace Farms, with the graphics designed by Pentagram.
With Every Fiber
West Barn
Design for Freedom is Grace Farms Foundation’s ongoing work to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain. This permanent exhibit, designed by Studio Cooke John, with Pentagram, offers cross-sector insights into the scope of the problem and proposes strategies and practices to address it through a series of material studies, including timber, steel, concrete, and textiles.
A space for both education and contemplation, the exhibit features innovative solutions, including a tapestry of bio-based materials designed by the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture, alongside contributions from poets, photographers, theologians, and others who remind us to consider the relationships inherent in the questions central to Design for Freedom: where do our building materials come from and are they made with fair labor? Please see page 13 for more information.
School Field Trips and Summer Groups
Invite your K-12 students to Grace Farms for the day to learn about nature, architecture, and sustainability!
Our daylong School Field Trips align with the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core, Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Frameworks, and Social and Emotional Learning practices.
Learn more and apply at gracefarms.org/school-programs. Group Visits
90-minute private tours are available by request for groups of 8 or more. Private tours take place Tuesday through Friday at 10:30 am or 12:45 pm. Learn more at gracefarms.org/visit.
Grace Farms Tour
Thursdays and Saturdays | 10:30 am – 12 pm
This comprehensive guided tour explores the intentional architecture, sustainable design, and curated interiors in each volume of the double LEED-certified River building, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning firm, SANAA.
SANAA and Grace Farms were awarded the prestigious 2014/2015 Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP). Grace Farms was also honored with the AIA National 2017 Architecture Honor Award and AIA Connecticut 2016 Design Honor Award.
Approved for AIA CES 1.5 LU
$25 | member: free
Permanent Artworks Tour
Saturdays, May 11 and July 13 | 2:30 – 4 pm
Teresita Fernández’s Double Glass River, which resembles an undulating galaxy, expands horizontally across the curved wall at the end of the Commons.
Consider the permanent artworks at Grace Farms on this walking tour offering curatorial insights into a diversity of expressions contributed by artists Beatriz Milhazes, Teresita Fernández, Thomas Demand, and Olafur Eliasson — all collaboratively conceived as responses to the SANAA-designed architectural program and vision for this unique place.
$25 | member: $20
River Building Tour | Behind the Scenes
Saturday, June 8 | 2:30 – 4 pm
Step inside the glass-enclosed River building with our Architecture Advisor, Toshihiro Oki, who worked with SANAA during the building’s design. Highlighting intentional design choices that align with the Foundation’s values, this tour provides insights into the many conversations and considerations from the building’s conceptualization and construction.
Architecture Advisor, Toshihiro Oki, left, who worked with SANAA during the building’s design.
Approved for AIA CES 1.5 LU
$25 | member: $20
Grace Farms Family Tour
Sundays | 3 – 4 pm
May 19, June 16, July 21, and August 18
This interactive tour invites families to explore the River building
as it twists and turns through Grace Farms’ natural landscape. Build models, play with some of the materials used to create our homes and community spaces, and discover how a building’s design can reduce its impact on the environment.
free
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About Grace Farms
Grace Farms is a center for culture and collaboration in New Canaan, Connecticut. We bring together people across sectors to explore nature, arts, justice, community, and faith at the SANAA-designed River building and Barns on 80 acres of publicly accessible, preserved natural landscape. Our humanitarian work to end modern slavery and foster more grace and peace in our local and global community includes leading the Design for Freedom movement to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain.
The SANAA-designed River building is embedded in 80 acres of natural landscape. Grace Farms is free and open to the public six days a week, other than Monday. Photo by Kyle Norton
Become a member
Grace Farms members enjoy special access to member-only events, experiential activities, and thought-provoking programs — and the opportunity to be a part of our mission to pursue a more peaceful world.
Learn more at gracefarms.org/membership
Visit our calendar of events to learn more about upcoming programs.
Sign-up for our newsletter
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