The Southport Garden Stroll, one of Pequot Library’s signature fundraisers, features exciting events and activities showcasing some of Southport’s finest private gardens. The festivities begin on June 1 with an intimate cocktail party. The celebration continues on June 2 with garden tours, engaging conversations, vendor displays, and more. Tickets are available as a package or à la carte.

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Schedule of Events
Parking
Vendors
Sponsors
Volunteer Opportunities

Schedule of Events

Champagne & Canapé Kickoff
Thursday, June 1 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Mar Jennings, TV Host/Author/Designer/Realtor

Join Marisa Marcantonio for Pequot Library’s annual Southport Garden Stroll Cocktail Party at a waterfront harbor home. A design and interiors expert, Marcantonio has spent the past 20 years as style editor at interior design magazines including House Beautiful, a creative strategist transforming luxury home brands with a focus on e-commerce, a tastemaker, and Business of Home video host—while maintaining her widely read design blog and instagram, Stylebeat. Her constant curiosity and passion for good design inspire her on a daily basis, and she’s become the ultimate insider and a trusted voice in the design world. She spent the past five and a half years at Chairish establishing and growing the brand as Director of Trade Relations, and she serves as a creative consultant for designers and brands to level-up their business. A resident of Southport, she will discuss what makes this part of Connecticut well-suited for beautiful interiors and landscaping.

Coffee and Conversation
Friday, June 2 | 8:30 a.m.

Join us for coffee with pastries courtesy of The Sono Baking Co. followed by a conversation with Connecticut’s Historic Gardens (CHG) President Jill Hogan to learn more about our state’s beautiful, historic gardens. Founded in 2004 by a group of Connecticut historical organizations, CHG comprises 16 sites in total. Ranging from the artfully manicured grounds of Farmington’s Hill-Stead Museum to the beautiful garden beds of Old Lyme’s Florence Griswold Museum, Jill Hogan and CHG work tirelessly to ensure the longevity of these beautiful sites.

About CHG: In 2004 a small group of representatives from nine historic gardens around the state came together to improve marketing and promotion of their respective sites. Today, the CT Historic Gardens now has a membership of sixteen unique gardens, working to cultivate a passion for the diversity of historic gardens at distinctive homes in Connecticut. Click here for more info.

Southport Garden Stroll

Premier event sponsor for the third year running: On the Harbor

Friday, June 2 | 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. or 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Featuring several of Southport’s finest private gardens, this self-guided walking tour starts at the heart of Southport Village at Pequot Library. Pick up your tour map/program, browse local vendors and farms on the Great Lawn, then wind your way through a floral adventure in an idyllic seaside New England neighborhood.

Local garden enthusiasts will guide you through the most notable features of these bountiful landscapes. This year’s self-paced Garden Stroll through idyllic Southport Village features more than eight of the community’s most picturesque gardens, including a garden that has been recognized by the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution. 

Start or finish your day with a visit to our vendor village to shop local businesses, boutiques, artisans, makers, and markets on the Great Lawn. Take your experience to the next level with a cold glass of Fleurs de Prairie rosé from our Rosé All Day tent, sponsored by Sturges Ridge of Fairfield, with wine donated by Deutsch Family Spirits. Lunch boxes will be available for purchase from Gruel Britannia – kindly order them no later than May 29. The String Busters bluegrass band will play on the Great Lawn from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Would your business be interested in acting as a sponsor? Contact Development Manager Grace Calderon at: calderon@pequotlibrary.org.

Rosé All Day Tent
Friday, June 2 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Sturges Ridge of Fairfield

Take your Southport Garden Stroll experience to the next level with a ticket to our Rosé All Day tent and enjoy a chilled glass of Fleurs de Prairie rosé donated by Deutsch Family Sprirts.

Lunch on the Great Lawn
Friday, June 2

Lunch boxes will be available for purchase from Gruel Britannia. Lunches must be ordered in advance, and the cutoff is May 29. 

Parking

Reserve Your Tickets

Thank you for supporting the Southport Garden Stroll. Tickets are limited and non-refundable. Tickets will not be sold at the door. All events will occur rain or shine.