“The possibilities remain as vast as our landscape. We invite you all along for the journey.” – Sharon Prince
This journey continues to bring together extraordinary leaders and organizations to create unique programs that align with our work in nature, arts, justice, community, and faith. This includes Design for Freedom, our global movement to remove forced labor from the built environment. We invite people to experience not only the beauty and peace along our nearly 80 acres of natural landscapes this season, but how we can advance good in the world together.
We hope you join us!
Download our full calendar and to register in advance for events see our full event calendar.
_________________________
January | Highlights
Humanity in Architecture Film Festival
Hosted by Grace Farms and Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF)
Join us for a weekend of films exploring the built environment’s power to enrich our human experience and remind us of our capacity to create positive change. Each film amplifies our belief that architecture can move us to address humanitarian issues.
Friday, January 24
Strange and Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island (2015)
Following the screening, Zita Cobb, CEO & Founder of Shorefast and Innkeeper at Fogo Island Inn, joins Grace Farms CEO & Founder Sharon Prince for a conversation about the impact of architecture moderated by ADFF Director and Founder, Kyle Bergman.
Saturday, January 25
Tokyo Ride (2020)
Beyond Zero (2022)
Biocentrics (2024)
Charlotte Perriand: Pioneer in the Art of Living (2019)
Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf (2017)
Frank Gehry: Building Justice (2018)
Moriyama-San (2017)
Perception (2019)
Sitting Still, a Documentary on Laurie Olin and his Vision (2024)
Unfinished Spaces (2011)
To purchase tickets and register.
_________________________
Photographer James Florio Presentation and Conversation
Architectural photographer James Florio is our Artist–in–Residence, visiting Grace Farms throughout the seasons to build a body of work composed on large format film.
Large format film removes all barriers between viewer and image to capture the world as it truly is: simple yet complex, imperfect but beautiful. During his residency, Florio explores how the River building — a building with glass walls that remove barriers between people and nature — transforms with the landscape across the seasons.
James Florio’s Studio at Grace Farms
Thursday, January 30 and Friday, January 31
Visit the Library to view a selection of Florio’s photographs of the River building, akin to visiting his studio in Montana. Enjoy a complimentary tea upon arrival.
free
Seasonal Stories with James Florio
Thursday, January 30 | 7 – 8 pm
Immerse yourself into the studio life of James Florio, with a mid-residency presentation of photographs. Hear from Florio in conversation with Grace Farms Founding Creative Director, Chelsea Thatcher, sharing stories of the seasons at Grace Farms, and immersing into the rhythms of nature to document it with large format film.
$12 | member: $10
_________________________
February | Highlight
Platon and The Defenders: Heroes of the Global Fight for Human Rights
Friday, February 28 | 7 – 8 pm
Join world-renowned portrait photographer Platon for an exploration of his newest book, The Defenders: Heroes of the Global Fight for Human Rights (2024). Celebrating human rights activists on their pursuit of justice, The Defenders is a powerful collection of photo essays spanning 15 years of work in Burma, Egypt, Russia, the United States, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Platon is a Peabody-award winning photographer known for his instantly recognizable portraits of world leaders and celebrities. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. In 2013, he founded The People’s Portfolio, an organization telling the story of emerging human rights defenders and the people they serve. His short film, My Body Is Not A Weapon, features survivors of wartime sexual violence and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege, who spoke at Grace Farms in 2019. In 2023, Platon was the keynote speaker for the Design for Freedom Summit at Grace Farms.
$12 | member: $10
“[The Defenders] encourages the viewer to embrace the definition of power in all its forms, with a focus on amplifying the voices of those fighting for a more just world.” — Time
_________________________
March | Highlights
2025 Design for Freedom Summit
Thursday, March 27
Every building tells a story of humanity — either of dignity or exploitation. Join us for the 4th annual Design for Freedom Summit, bringing hundreds of leading experts across sectors, as well as highly-engaged university students, together to advance this collaborative, global movement to raise awareness of forced labor in the building materials supply chain.
Featuring:
Grace Forrest, founding director of Walk Free, the international human rights organization working to eradicate modern slavery
Amar Lal, advocate and child rights and human rights activist
early bird price: $250 (ends January 31, 2025) $350 | Grace Farms Member: $280 | student: $100
“Today, hundreds of leaders of the built environment are standing together to issue a clarion call to action. We are not just in agreement that forced labor in the building materials supply chain is unethical and immoral. We are also in agreement that now is the time for action and true market transformation to design and build more humanely. — Sharon Prince
To register.
_________________________
International Women’s Day
The Future of Women in Sports
Saturday, March 8, 12:00 pm – 3:15 pm
The future of women’s sports is bright because of iconic athletes who became household names, and the countless generations of elite young athletes they inspire. Join us on International Women’s Day to hear from trailblazing leaders shaping the future of women’s sports, including three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings.
Clinics with Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings
Middle School Clinic | 12 – 1:15 pm
High School Clinic | 1:45 – 3:15 pm
Walsh Jennings leads volleyball drills and skill practice for middle and high school girls, offering a chance to train with a champion and view an authentic Olympic medal.
$150
Beyond the Game with Kerri Walsh Jennings and Danette Leighton
4 – 5 pm
Celebrate the immense progress of women’s sports and join Walsh Jennings, Women’s Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton, and Grace Farms Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives and Investor Engagement Karen Kariuki for an inspiring discussion about achievements, challenges, and future opportunities in women’s athletics and leadership.
$12 | member: $10 | student: $6
_________________________
April | Highlight
Earth Day Celebration
Saturday, April 26 | 10 am – 5 pm
Join us for Earth Day!
Explore the native landscapes surrounding the LEED Gold Certified River building! Grace Farms is a Certified Wildlife Habitat Garden (National Wildlife Federation), a Certified Monarch Waystation (Monarch Watch), and a New Canaan Pollinator Pathway Community Partner. Our Earth Day activities, inspired by art, architecture, and nature, include:
Open Arts Studio | Weaving in the Black Locust Tree Grove
Search for Spring Birds with an Expert
Build a Perfect Birdhouse and learn why birds build homes with Director of Horticulture Kimberly Kelly
Sip a Delicious Tea Mocktail inspired by bees and honeycomb with Tea Expert Frank Kwei and Pastry Chef Leah Jones
Meet Incredible Wildlife visiting from Animal Embassy
Explore Animal Homes with Grace Farms Educators
$12 per car | member: free
_________________________
Additional Monthly Highlights
January
Gardening Workshop
Introduction to Seed Starting, Saturday, January 11 | 11 am – 12 pm
Gardeners, join our Director of Horticulture, Kimberly Kelly, to explore sustainable methods of starting plants from seeds. Learn the importance of saving, using, and exchanging your own seeds, as well as tips for optimal seed selection, equipment, timing, soil blocks, and more.
$20 | member: $16
Winter Mocktails
Thursday, January 16 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Guided by Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones, create and sip your own delicious tea-based mocktail with good-for-you ingredients inspired by Grace Farms Tea & Coffee.
$22 | member: $18
_________________________
February
Chef’s Palate
The Science of Flavor, Sunday, February 2 | 3 – 4 pm
Families, learn how to taste and cook with flavor like a professional chef! Join Grace Farms Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones for an interactive culinary class exploring how we experience the food we love through each of our five senses, and the science behind taste.
$12 | member: $10
Gardening Workshop
Pruning 101
Saturday, February 8 | 11 am – 12 pm
Understanding when and how to prune is critical to the health of small trees and shrubs. Learn the basics of pruning, including proper tool use and care, from Director of Horticulture Kimberly Kelly, who will emphasize practices that champion sustainable, native-friendly, and eco-conscious values in gardening.
$20 | member: $16
Winter Passport
Tuesday, February 18 – Friday, February 21 | 10 am – 2 pm
Pick up a passport at the Welcome Desk — or bring your passport from previous “vacations” at Grace Farms — and venture through the River building for wintertime activities. Collect stamps at each activity for a small treat afterwards!
free
Winter Week Afternoon Activities
Tuesday, February 18 – Friday, February 21
Join us for creative and educational activities during Winter Week! Meet animals visiting from Animal Embassy, create architecture-inspired collages with Design for Freedom Senior Project Manager Brigid Abraham, craft fairy houses with Director of Horticulture Kimberly Kelly, and decorate cookies with Pastry Chef Leah Jones.
$8 per activity | member: free
Polar Bear Family Picnic
Friday, February 21 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Let’s have breakfast for dinner! Families are invited to gather for a cozy meal in the Commons prepared by our culinary team. After enjoying your meal, take part in winter-inspired crafts and games.
$22 | member: $18 | children: $16
Music at Grace Farms
Andromeda Turre, Saturday, February 22 | 4:30 – 6 pm
Andromeda Turre is an award-winning jazz performer, composer, and educator committed to using her art for positive change. Turre returns to Grace Farms to headline her own concert after delivering memorable performances at our 2022 and 2023 Songs of the Season music series.
$20 | member: $16 | children: $12
_________________________
March
Gardening Workshop
Soil & Compost
Saturday, March 15 | 11 am – 12 pm
Deepen your knowledge of soils and composts with Director of Horticulture Kimberly Kelly. Discover how to create and feed soil, a crucial element of a resilient ecosystem, and learn how to make and properly use compost.
$20 | member: $16
Spring Mocktails
Thursday, March 20 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Mix your own tea-based mocktails with Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones. During this hands-on evening, broaden your culinary skillset by exploring restorative beverage blends rooted in herbals and teas.
$22 | member: $18
Conversations in Architecture
Close-to-Nature Forestry with Jens Jacob and Hans Peter Dinesen
Saturday, April 5 | 3 – 4:30 pm
When wood is harvested using the close-to-nature forestry approach, an old-growth tree falls exactly where nature would intend it to fall, opening new space for sunlight and rainwater to enrich the next generation of tall trees.
Learn about close-to-nature forestry, a sustainable practice that champions intentionality and maintains a forest’s complex and biodiverse ecosystem, with Grace Farms Architecture Advisor Toshihiro Oki, along with Jens Jacob and Hans Peter Dinesen of Dinesen. Dinesen, a wood flooring company based in Denmark, has sourced timber attained through close-to-nature forestry from family-owned woods for 300 years, spanning five generations.
$12 | member: $10
Chef’s Palate
Global Groceries
Families, follow your food! Join Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones to look at everyday ingredients through a global perspective and learn why shopping for groceries locally and cooking seasonal meals can bolster your community while having a greater global impact.
$12 | member: $10
Gardening Workshop
How to Create a Rain Garden
Saturday, April 12 | 11 am – 12 pm
Rain gardens and bioswales are a wonderfully useful nature-based way to clean and filter water, prevent unwanted erosion, and provide an important habitat within your local ecosystem. Tour the bioswales at Grace Farms while learning how to create a rain garden or bioswale to make a positive impact on your environment.
$20 | member: $16
_________________________
Design for Freedom Competition
Led by Grace Farms, Design for Freedom is the collaborative, global movement to create a radical paradigm shift and remove forced labor in the building materials supply chain.
The movement brings together an expanding group of innovative leaders who have committed their expertise and means to build a more equitable future by reimagining architecture as a powerful driver of humanitarian outcomes.
Ethical and Equitable Materiality to End Forced Labor in partnership with the ACSA
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 9
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, June 4
Winners Announced: Summer 2025
Grace Farms is partnering with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) to host a student design competition for the 2024-2025 academic year. Architecture students can compete in two separate categories: a design project and a materials research project.
The competition aims to challenge individual or teams of students to explore how architectural materials research and design can eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain.
_________________________
Yoga and Movement with Pilin Anice
Experience movement and music in the light-filled Court with renowned mindfulness and wellness expert, Pilin Anice. This invigorating class takes participants through a breath-centered yoga practice while incorporating live acoustics.
All classes, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Revive
Rise
Breathe
Rest
Move with Grace Farms x lululemon
Restore and ignite the energy needed to live a more balanced life during monthly movement classes developed in collaboration with local lululemon ambassadors.
Yoga with Jane Krantz
Saturday, February 15, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Strength for Runners with Brittany Battis
Saturday, March 15, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Strength with Otto Lewis
Saturday, April 19, 10:30 pm – 12:00 pm
Journey Into the World of Tea
Monthly on Wednesdays | 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Led by Tea Expert Frank Kwei, this tranquil and in-depth exploration of tea offers guests a taste of notable varietals from cultures around the world, with demonstrations and more. Now offered monthly.
$30 per program | member: $24
_________________________
Introduction to Tea
White and Green Teas of China and Japan
Oolong and Pu-erhs of China and Taiwan
Black Teas of China, India, and Sri Lanka
Tea, Coffee & Conversation
Gather with friends in the glass-enclosed Pavilion for an afternoon of warm beverages and delightful bites. From our monthly Afternoon Tea sessions, inspired by the elegance of English tea service and featuring a fusion of English and Japanese flavors, to our new Coffee Break, where you can enjoy expertly brewed coffee alongside a variety of sweet treats, each event offers a charming escape into culinary indulgence. Hosted by Pastry Chef and Educator Leah Jones, these afternoons promise good conversation and great flavors.
$38 per program | member: $31
Afternoon Tea
Monthly on Fridays | 3 – 4:30 pm
January 10, February 14, March 14, April 11
Coffee Break
Thursday, April 17 | 3 – 4:30 pm
_________________________
Membership
Grace Farms members can visit without advance registration and enjoy 20% off dining, retail, and thought-provoking programs, 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.
Upcoming Member Events
Humanity in Architecture Film Festival Reception
Friday, January 24 | 5 – 6:15 pm
Members are invited to gather for a casual reception in the Library before the screening of Strange and Familiar: Architecture on Fogo Island (2015).
Kindness Weekend | Visit to Westchester Children’s Museum
Saturday & Sunday, February 8 – 9 | 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Experience the Westchester Children’s Museum during its Kindness Weekend, two days dedicated to spreading joy, positivity, and love. The museum, offering an interactive STEAM-based learning space, is located nearby in Rye, NY. For ages 13 and under.
Member Planting Day
Saturday, April 12 | 1 – 2:30 pm
Connect with the landscape and fellow members as you prep the Grace Farms Garden for a bountiful season ahead.
________________
Open Arts Studio
Thursdays, 3 – 5 pm & Saturdays, 10 – 12 pm
Drop into the Arts Studio for a facilitated series designed by artists, curators, and educators that invites families to play, create, and experiment with sensory-rich materials and different modes of artmaking.
For ages 4–11 with adult caregivers.
________________
About Grace Farms Foundation

The River building at Grace Farms is embedded in nature. Nearly 80 acres of natural and diverse landscapes surround the award-winning River. (photo by Sahar Coston-Hardy)
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 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.
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.
Sign-up for our newsletter
Follow us
@gracefarmsct #gracefarms