First Fridays: Plants, People, and Place

First Fridays: Plants, People, and Place
Through The Planting Fields Stand
Friday, Apr. 3
10 – 11am
$25 per person
All tickets final sale.
Beginning at the Welcome Pavilion, check in begins 15 minutes prior. 

Step into a multisensory exploration of the plants that shape global cuisine and the cultural stories they carry!

Led by Exhibitions and Collections Manager, Emily Leger, and Sustainability Coordinator, Rebecca Slagle, this guided tour weaves through the gardens, greenhouses, and exhibition spaces of Planting Fields, connecting the living history of our gardens with the 2025 Catalyst installation, Sam Van Aken’s The Planting Fields Stand, a grove of four multi-grafted fruit trees. Drawing on the estate’s agricultural history from Indigenous stewardship to present day, the tour traces how food has been grown, shared, and celebrated here for generations. In the Main House, visitors discover Van Aken’s artworks as an invitation to consider biodiversity, memory, and imagination in the face of climate change and shifting food systems.  

Blending horticulture, history, and contemporary art, this tour invites guests to reflect on the fruits, both literal and cultural, that nourish us. 

More about First Fridays
This monthly series dives into the various themes that make up Planting Fields, with exclusive behind-the-scenes walking tours and workshops led by Planting Fields Foundation and New York State Parks staff, who are experts in their respective fields. From wellness and Olmsted landscape features to the life-stories of Coe family members and their unchallenged spectacular horticultural, historic and personal collections, participants of this series will see this site with a new lens. Each month a new theme is explored with at least one staff expert serving as your guide. This series will take place on the first Friday of each month.

For any additional information and questions, please contact Kayla Cheshire, Communications and Marketing Manager at kcheshire@plantingfields.org

All ticket sales final. Outside tours will continue in the case of light rain. Should weather become inclement, tour participants will be notified and the tour will be rescheduled. 

48 Hour Cancellation Policy: Should you need to cancel; you will be credited the amount towards a future 2026 First Friday event. 

By registering for this event, you consent to Planting Fields Foundation photographing and filming during the event. These images may be used for promotional purposes, including social media, on our website, newsletters, grant requests, reports. As it may not be feasible to identify individuals who may wish to opt out, your registration implies your consent to be photographed. By registering for this event, you are also you are agreeing to receive pre-registration emails, e-newsletters, and other communications from Planting Fields Foundation. If you have any concerns, please contact Kayla at kcheshire@plantingfields.org