“Every day that we are gifted the opportunity to wake up on Earth, we build. What we choose to build — and how we design and build it — are questions that are explored at Grace Farms.” — Chelsea Thatcher, Founding Creative Director
To commemorate the opening of Grace Farms in October 2015, the foundation published And Souls Are Candles, an anthology of contemporary poems and theological prose, edited by Christian Wiman, an author, editor, and former Guggenheim Fellow. The title is a metaphor that suggests souls are like flames, each one hopeful, each one connecting to spread more light.
In one of the poems, And I Was Alive by 20th-century Russian poet Osip Mandelstam, the poet was praised for his ability to be “wonderstruck, even in a darkening, war-torn world, and suggests that hope can shine forth out of the strangest places,” according to an Atlantic Magazine article that referenced best-selling author Ayana Mathis’ thoughts on Mandelstam’s poetry.
The River building embedded in natural landscape invites people to experience the awe and wonder of nature through the seasons.
As the natural light wanes as the winter solstice approaches in mid-December — where we’ll experience the shortest day and longest night, Grace Farms has created programming to reflect during the season. Reflective of Mandelstam’s poem, which calls upon us to consider “What is being?”, Grace Farms is a contemplative space to consider some of life’s enduring questions.
While it’s a time to look inward, it’s also a season to look beyond to help those in need. Below are highlights of our Season of Light programs. Visit our events page to register for events.
Admission to Grace Farms is free: Tuesday-Saturday | 10 am – 5 pm Sunday | 12 – 5 pm Monday | Closed
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Gifting for Good
At our annual Gifting for Good welcomes hundreds people of all ages each year to compile care packages for those in need in our local community.
Friday, December 5, 2025
4 – 5 pm, 6 – 7 pm
In the spirit of giving, gather with friends, family, and fellow community members to assemble care packages.
Cookie Decorating
Sunday, December 7, 2025
1 – 2 pm, 3 – 4 pm
Decorate delicious winter-inspired cookies with the entire family. Cookies will be provided by Pastry Chef Leah Jones.
Music at Grace Farms | Broadway Inspirational Voices Christmas Concert
Saturday, December 13, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Broadway Inspirational Voices returns to Grace Farms with a site-responsive program that connects us with the presence of the human voice to inspire the audience toward joy. The one-hour program features a holiday repertoire developed for Grace Farms by Connecticut native Allen René Louis, Broadway Inspirational Voices Artistic Director and GRAMMY®-nominated Creative Director and Producer.
60 minute performance. No intermission. Doors open at 1 pm.
Tickets include entry to the Grace Farms Holiday Market, a special pop-up featuring a curated selection of meaningful gifts that give back. Browse art sets, toys and treats, cozy mugs, teas and coffees, inspiring books, and Grace Farms favorites like notecards and memberships. Discover handmade ornaments and embroidered works by Nasreen Sheikh and the Empowerment Collective, supporting dignified work for women artisans worldwide.
Sustainable Holiday Décor
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Saturday, 11 am – 12 pm
Make a one-of-a-kind holiday wreath from living plants and other natural materials with the Grace Farms Garden Team.
Nature Workshops by Kimberly Kelly invite adults of all experience to learn about the various cultural practices that rely on nature, including flower bouquets, the impact of seeds, permaculture, and holiday décor.
Seasonal Music
Drop into the Sanctuary during your visit to enjoy improvisational performances of seasonal music from local artists, suited for the whole family.
Select days, November and December 2025
Seasonal Music | Arden Altino
Sunday, December 28, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
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Additional Seasonal Activities & Family Programming
Move with Grace Farms x lululemon
November 15, December 20, 2025
Monthly 10:30 am – 12 pm
Restore and ignite the energy needed to live a more balanced life during monthly movement classes developed in collaboration with local lululemon ambassadors.
Yoga and Movement with Pilin Anice
The Court, a multi-purpose space for recreation, youth activities, receptions, and arts performances, also serves as a contemplative space to experience yoga during all seasons.
Candlelight Yoga: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
3:30 – 5 pm
Experience movement and music in the light-filled Court with renowned mindfulness and wellness expert, Pilin Anice.
Weekly Children and Family Programs
Thursdays Ages 1 – 5
Studio Beginnings
Inspired by the River building and the surrounding landscapes, these mornings in the art studio encourage our youngest builders, designers, and artists to think, play, create, and experiment with texture, form, line, color, and space.
Open Arts Studio
Thursdays and Saturdays Ages 4 – 11
Open Arts Studio is a site-responsive creative exploration for younger audiences to engage in open-ended inquiry and reflect on the building, its shapes and designs, and its ideas.
Materials Studio
Tuesdays and Wednesdays Ages 4 – 11
Families are invited to learn about the unique properties of the different materials in With Every Fiber and through art making, imagine new applications for them.
Imagination Playground
Children can build skills, solve problems, and make friends in the Court using an innovative system of large-scale, lightweight blocks designed to encourage fun and learning through curiosity-driven play. For ages 8 and under with adult caregivers.
Bunny Book Group
Fridays Up to 5 yrs
Listen to stories from our curated collection of books and take part in an arts and crafts activity.
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Exhibits
With Every Fiber: Pigment, Stone, Glass
photo by Andrew Werner
Grace Farms opened a new iteration of the With Every Fiber exhibit, which offers newly commissioned artworks and insights into both human dignity and exploitation in the building materials supply chain. A portion of With Every Fiber was adapted and included in the Intelligens CANON at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Carlo Ratti, open through November 2025.
Peace Forest
Explore Grace Farms’ visitor orientation space featuring a SANAA-made model of the River building, a permanent work by Thomas Demand, and watermedia of the site by Heather Jones.
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About Grace Farms
photo by Dean Kaufman
Grace Farms is a cultural and humanitarian center in New Canaan, Connecticut that brings people together across sectors to explore nature, arts, justice, community, and faith at the SANAA-designed River building and Barns on 80 acres of publicly accessible natural landscape. Since opening in 2015, Grace Farms has welcomed 1 million visitors from around the world to experience its unique integration of arts, architecture, nature, and purpose.
As a destination for arts and culture, Grace Farms presents innovative programming in music, visual and performing arts while fostering contemplation and connection through architecture and nature. Its humanitarian work includes leading the Design for Freedom movement to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain and advancing initiatives to foster more grace and peace locally and globally.
The integration of cultural programming and humanitarian action reflects Grace Farms’ collaborative approach to generating new outcomes and meaningful change.
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Membership
Grace Farms members can visit without advance registration and enjoy a 20% discount on paid programs, retail, and dining, invitations to members-only gatherings, complimentary events, and a welcome gift from Grace Farms Tea & Coffee.
Becoming a member helps us advance our mission to pursue a more peaceful world and supports the preservation of the River building and its surrounding 80 acres.
For more information, visit gracefarms.org/membership.
Visit our calendar of events to learn more about upcoming programs.
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