Each season brings us closer to nature in particular ways. With the emergence of spring, the way the light exists “it almost speaks to you” wrote Emily Dickinson in her poem, A Light Exists in Spring.
At Grace Farms, our nearly 80-acre nature preserves invite visitors to experience how nature “speaks” to them, whether it’s through exploring our 10 biodiverse habitats or learning how to care for the environment through our year-long educational programing. Our place-based programing is often another way to discover the cultural and humanitarian work including Design for Freedom, a global movement to eliminate forced labor from our building materials supply chain.
We welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to Grace Farms. 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. Stay abreast of our events and programing and sign up for our newsletter.
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Below are highlights for our spring programming including our featured event below:
Design for Freedom Summit Tuesday, March 26
Join us for the 3rd annual Design for Freedom Summit, kicking off with Lisa Kristine, an internationally-recognized photographer, humanitarian, activist, and speaker, as well as a supporting partner in the United Nations’ International Labour Organization’s 50 For Freedom campaign, whose goal is to eradicate modern slavery. During this momentous day of action and awareness, hear from leading experts across key sectors who are working to create a more humane future. Since holding the first yearly summit in 2022, Grace Farms has welcomed hundreds of attendees united in the fight against forced labor in the building materials supply chain. Please visit our website for registration, travel information, and the full agenda.
AIA CES Approved 4 LU | HSW
SARA CES Approved 4 LU | HSW
$150 | member: $120 | student: $50
“We are not just in agreement that forced labor in the building materials supply chain is unethical and immoral. We are in agreement that now is the time for action and true market transformation to design and build more humanely.” — Sharon Prince
Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder, Grace Farms Foundation, welcoming over 500 participants to Design for Freedom last year.
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Building AI for the Greater Good Thursday, March 7 | 7 – 8 pm
Hear from leaders exploring the vast field of AI as a tool for fostering positive outcomes and advancing equity. Moderator Karen Kariuki, Grace Farms West Coast Program Officer, will be joined onstage by Stephanie Dinkins, Kusama Endowed Chair in Art at Stony Brook University and advocate for inclusive AI, Liz Grennan, Global Co-Lead for McKinsey’s Digital Trust service line, and Mia Shah-Dand, Founder of Women in AI Ethics and Lighthouse3, a consultancy focusing on responsible AI and data governance.
Stephanie Dinkins, Kusama Endowed Chair in Art at Stony Brook University.
$15 | member: $12
Chef’s Palate | The Science of Flavor Saturday, March 9 | 3 – 4 pm
Refine your palate during this interactive sensory experience led by Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones who discusses the science behind our taste buds, explores memorable flavor pairings, and demonstrates how to rely on each sense to become a stronger cook who can craft an unforgettable dish full of flavor.
$15 | member: $12
Afternoon Tea Monthly on Fridays | 3 – 4:30 pm March 15 and April 19
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 the Grace Farms Culinary Team.
$30 | member: $24
Gardening Workshop | Beekeeping Basics Saturday, March 16 | 11 am – 12 pm
Learn the fundamentals and seasonal rhythms of beekeeping from Master Gardener Lauren Elliott during this workshop covering how to start your own hive. Includes a honey tasting and cup of tea.
$15 | member: $12
Bees are essentials pollinators. The restoration of our meadows with native plants, support the pollinators including birds and butterflies.
Nature’s Classroom | Spring’s Native Wildflowers Saturday, March 23 | 11 am – 12 pm
Join Horticulture Advisor Kimberly Kelly to learn about the important role ephemerals and wildflowers play in providing food for beneficial insects and other woodland creatures during the spring — and how to incorporate these plants into your own landscape.
$10 | member: $8 | children: $5
Conversations in Architecture A River of Glass Saturday, April 6 | 3 – 4:30 pm
Grace Farms Architecture Advisor Toshihiro Oki and Michael Ra, Founding Principal at Front Inc., the forward-thinking group behind the River building’s unique glass walls, discuss architectural glass. Their conversation explores the distinct glass system created to complement SANAA’s design concept; the creation of customized glass seals; the process of sourcing of glass that meets high-quality fabrication, energy, and performance criteria, and more.
Approved for AIA CES 1.5 LU
$10 | member: $8 | student: $7
Spring Garden-to-Table Dinner Friday, April 12 | 6:30 – 8 pm
Experience a delicious meal prepared by our culinary team highlighting fresh produce and herbs harvested from our garden, followed by a spring-inspired dessert. Members of our culinary, horticulture, and garden teams, including Master Gardener Lauren Elliott and Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones, will introduce the meal and provide helpful tips on how to select, grow, and extend the life of local produce.
Recommended for adults. $30 | member: $24
Our 1,450-square-foot Community Garden not only supplies ingredients to meals served in the Commons, as well as donations to our nonprofit partners, but is a living classroom to explore and learn about sustainable growing practices.
Astronomy | Navigating by Nature Thursday, April 18 | 6:30 – 8 pm
Explore how clues from the natural world — the stars, sun, wind, and trees — have helped humankind navigate across land and sea during this astronomy lecture led by educators from Mystic Seaport Museum’s Treworgy Planetarium.
$15 | member: $12
Earth Day Celebration Saturday, April 20
Earth Day brings hundreds of people to Grace Farms every year. Visitors can explore 10 biodiverse habitats along our 80 acres, engage in educational programs about caring for our environment, or simply enjoy the awe and wonder of nature at Grace Farms.
Spend time connecting with the natural world during this year’s Earth Day celebration, inviting guests to explore all corners of our natural landscape from the far-reaching groves of trees to the tranquil pond brimming with life. Our Earth Day activities invite you to: Learn from Nature Join Horticulture Advisor and butterfly expert Kimberly Kelly, Master Gardener Lauren Elliott, and Grace Farms’ Educators to explore the majestic trees and the flourishing pond life of the nature preserve; enjoy tasting tours of the produce growing in our lively Community Garden; and take a sneak peek at the butterflies that inhabit the meadows during the summer months. Come Face-to-Face with Wildlife Encounter rescued animals from Animal Embassy and learn about the birds that call Grace Farms their home with Master Birder Frank Mantlik.
$10 per car | member: free
Gardening Workshop | Compost and Soil Saturday, April 27 | 11 am – 12 pm
During this backyard composting workshop led by Master Gardener Lauren Elliott, learn how to repurpose kitchen scraps and garden debris into a homemade compost that enriches soil health for gardens, meadows, trees, and lawns.
$15 | member: $12
Beauty & Logic Saturday, April 27 | 7:30 – 9 pm
Treat both sides of your brain to an unforgettable concert and conversation with Marcus G. Miller, Grace Farms Music Director, saxophonist, and Harvard-trained mathematician who explores the beautiful relationship between music and math.
$20 | member: $16
Marcus G. Miller, our Music Director, far left, with this band, perform and discuss the relationship between music and reason in our 700-seat Sanctuary.
Tours
River Building Interiors Tour Saturday, April 13 | 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, for an interiors-focused tour highlighting seating design selections, sustainably-sourced surfaces, responsive plans, and more.
$25 | member: $20
Approved for AIA CES 1.5 LU
Sustainable Systems Tour, Friday | 1 – 2:30 pm, April 5
Follow our facility experts for a rare glimpse of the 55 geothermal wells and other systems integral to keeping the River building – one of the only buildings in Connecticut with a double LEED certification – efficient, comfortable, and sustainable.
Toshihiro Oki, our Architecture Advisor, giving a tour at Grace Farms.
$25 | member: $20
Conversations in Architecture, Saturday | A River of Glass, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm, April 6
A common thread between the modernists of the past and the River building at Grace Farms is the use of glass.Join us for a conversation about architectural glass between Grace Farms Architecture Advisor Toshihiro Oki and Michael Ra, coming from Hong Kong as one of the Founding Principals at Front Inc., Founding Director of Via, and Co-Chair of the Elefront initiative.
Front Inc. was the project partner responsible for the design of the glass envelope used in the creation of the 203 glass pieces that form many of the walls at Grace Farms – almost every piece is unique and curved to fit it’s exact spot in the River building.
Their conversation explores the innovative and distinct glass system created to complement SANAA’s design concept; the creation of customized glass seals; the process of sourcing of glass that meets high-quality fabrication, energy, and performance criteria, and more.
Approved for AIA CES 1.5 LU
$10 | member: $8 | student: $7
Grace Farms Tour Saturdays | 10:30 am – 12 pm
This 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 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.
Go to our events page to register.
$25 | member: free |student: $15
Approved for AIA CES 1.5 LU
Private tours are available for parties of 8 or more by request. To request a private tour, please visit gracefarms.org/visit.
Ongoing Children & Family Programs
Imagination Playground
daily
Children can build skills, solve problems, and make friends in the Court using an innovative system of large-scale, lightweight blocks designed by architect David Rockwell to encourage fun and learning through curiosity-driven play. Up to age 8 with adult caregivers.
Go to our events page to register.
free
Bunny Book Group Fridays | 11 – 11:30 am
Listen to stories from our curated collection of books and take part in an arts and crafts activity. For ages 1-5 with adult caregivers. This is a drop-in program. Go to our events page to register.
free
Grace Farms Family Tour Sundays | 3 – 4 pm March 17 and April 21
Join us for an interactive family tour of Grace Farms. Explore the unique design of the River building, discover the sustainability features that have earned us two LEED certifications, and learn about the work we’re doing to create a more peaceful and equitable world. For ages 5 and up with adult caregivers.
$5 | member: free
Open Arts Studio Thursdays | 1 – 5 pm & Saturdays | 10 am – 2 pm
Drop in for a facilitated series designed by artists, curators, and educators that invites families to think, play, create, and experiment with sensory-rich materials and different modes of artmaking. This season, artists are invited to discover the River with a series of programs taking inspiration from the architecture and artworks at Grace Farms.
Go to our events page to register.
$5 | member: free
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About Grace Farms Foundation
We bring together people across sectors to explore nature, arts, justice, community, and faith at the SANAA-designed River building, on 80 acres of publicly accessible 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. This collaborative approach to comprehensively address humanitarian issues and generate new outcomes is reflected across all of our initiatives and the place of Grace Farms.
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
Follow us
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