AUTUMN 2022

Geist House Photo & Film ©

11/16/22

What’s New?

On August 10th, we hosted our Grand Opening with industry guests and a styled shoot. What better way to imagine a wedding at Sassafras.

GRAND OPENING

A bride in a white wedding dress with a long train and veil standing on a grassy path in a field of tall grass, overlooking a scenic landscape with trees and hills under a cloudy pink and purple sky.

From This Moment Photography ©

A long wooden dining table decorated with a lush floral centerpiece, white lace table runner, candles, and set with plates, napkins, and glasses, outdoors with stone wall and greenery in the background.

Stellar Films &Photography ©

Our Shaker Chair Factory is 3-feet in the air and getting ready for a new foundation. This 200-year old building is allegedly the last standing Shaker Chair Factory in America. 60 foot beams and a hydraulic lift carried this 198 ton building off its crumbling foundation. Next, we’ll excavate and then build a new foundation so the Chair Factory can stick around another 200 years. The Chair Factory is expected to be ready for events in late spring, 2023.

UP IN THE AIR

Construction site with wooden beams and supports, some debris on the floor, and a scenic landscape visible in the background.

Book a Wedding or Event

What a thrill it was to host our first weddings this year. After 2 years of renovating our seven venue sites, we welcomed Amy and Lukas’s reception on the stone terrace and Jamie and Graham’s wedding on the tennis lawn. See more wedding photos on our Instagram. Click here for details on hosting a wedding at Sassafras.

FIRST WEDDINGS

Large white event tent set up outdoors on a grassy area, surrounded by trees, under a blue sky.

Lisa Light ©

Long outdoor table decorated with a white table runner, pink and purple flowers in a vase, and place settings with white napkins and glassware, set under a white tent in a green outdoor area.

Lisa Light ©

Community Events

Under a full moon, instructor Mackenzie Bell led a class of gentle yoga in the ruins. Afterwards, John Bosquet-Morra played the guitar, and yogis sang around a blazing fire.

For more information on Sassafras Events go to our calendar and follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

MOONLIGHT STRETCH

Nighttime outdoor gathering with string lights hung in a park-like setting with trees, some with autumn leaves. People can be seen in the background near a stone wall and seating area, illuminated by the lights.

Lisa Light ©

Group of six people doing yoga outdoors at night, sitting on yoga mats on wooden deck, with string lights overhead and a stacked stone wall with candles in the background.

Lisa Light ©

Shaker Second Family Museum

This year, the New York Board of Regents certified The Ruins at Sassafras as a museum. The Second Family Museum, named after the family of Shakers who lived here, hosts educational events and tours for adults and students.

Free Guided Tours will be available until December 31st on Tues, Wed, Thurs from 9-12. Email Carol for a reservation.

A mosaic flower made of glass pieces with a blue and light blue bloom and green leaves and stem, set against a rough, textured concrete wall.

Group of people creating mosaic art on a stone wall outdoors, surrounded by trees and grass.

New Lebanon high schoolers help us design our mosaic of glass used by the Shakers.

Overnight Stays

ENJOY HISTORY, NATURE, AND A SHAKER BED

The Stone House and the Caretaker’s Cottage at Sassafras can now be rented for overnight stays! The Stone House accommodates up to 10 and the Caretaker’s Cottage up to 6.
Click here for more information and reservations.
Or go directly to our Airbnb pages for reservations at the Stone House and the Caretaker’s Cottage.

A cozy bedroom with a large bed, dark wood headboard, and multiple pillows, illuminated by a bedside lamp, with a patterned rug and windows with shades in the background.

We thank you for your support this past year as we have worked towards our opening.

Cheers!

— Carol & Jerome

Andrew Elder ©