Flanders is excited to announce a special event, Farm to Flanders – The Ultimate Gourmet Picnic & Auction, will take place on Sunday, August 27, 2023, on the beautiful grounds of its Van Vleck Farm & Nature Sanctuary in Woodbury.
This year’s event celebrates our 60th Anniversary. Flanders has been a part of the greater Woodbury community since 1963 and reaches residents in over 30 surrounding towns! All supporters will enjoy a multi-course farm-inspired gourmet picnic prepared by renowned chefs and packaged in a reusable cooler tote. Supporters can opt to join the party at “Meet, Mingle & More” or enjoy “Picnic Your Way.”
“Meet, Mingle & More” attendees will be greeted by a champagne toast courtesy of Drakeley Real Estate as they gather at the Flanders Sugar House starting at 4 PM on August 27th. As guests savor hors d’oeuvres prepared on-site by the area’s most acclaimed chefs, they will delight in listening to jazz music performed by the super group “Out of Orbit.” Litchfield Distillery will be mixing signature cocktails, Reverie Brewing Co. will be pouring craft beer, and Nutmeg Wine & Spirit Shoppe serving a choice of wines. Additionally, guests will be able to peruse auction items, and enjoy their gourmet multi-course farm-inspired meal at one of the many picnic tables scattered around the Sugar House Garden!
“Picnic Your Way” attendees will be able to pick up their multi-course meal at the Flanders South Barn between 12 PM and 2 PM on August 27th. They are welcome to enjoy their meal on one of Flanders’s seven preserves or at home.
This year’s event chefs include coordinating chefs John Bourdeau of The Owl Wine & Food Bar and Carlos Perez of @ the Corner Restaurant & Pub as well as Michael Bates-Walsh of 1754 House Inn & Restaurant, Dennis DeBellis of John's Café, Derek Dugan of Lucas Local Oyster Bar, , Ashley Nelson of Sweet Nelsons, Clark Neugold of The Foundry Kitchen & Tavern, Denis Niez of Ovens of France, Carole Peck of Good News Restaurant & Bar, and Chris Prosperi of Metro Bis Restaurant.
An auction of unique items and experiences is also part of this year’s event. The auction is online, so anyone can bid and has a chance to win! Some of the items up for bid include a 6-night stay in Ecuador, a 1-week Lake Winnipesaukee vacation, and other exclusive trips, as well as many beautiful pieces of art from local artists. To check out all the fabulous auction items and to start bidding go to: https://www.32auctions.com/Flanders2023.
Farm to Flanders – The Ultimate Gourmet Picnic & Auction tickets must be purchased in advance. The cost for “Meet, Mingle & More” is $125 per person, and “Picnic Your Way” is $85 per person. Additional items are available for purchase such as a bouquet of flowers, wine from Walker Roads Winery, Ready-to-Drink Cocktails from Litchfield Distillery, and non-alcoholic beer from Athletic Brewing Co. This has been a sold-out event for the last three years, so reserve your tickets early! To purchase tickets or donate go to www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call the Flanders office at (203) 263-3711.
This is Flanders’ major fundraiser of the year with all proceeds benefitting its mission to provide opportunities to appreciate nature’s wonders and preserve land, inspiring lifelong learning about our natural world. The major sponsors for the event so far are New Morning Market, Drakeley Real Estate, Ericson Insurance Advisors, Giuliano, Richardson & Sfara, LLC, and Woodbury-