Sylvester Manor: Introduces ‘Manor Made’ | Farm to Table | Sculpture | Shakespeare | Updates | Trails ….

Farm to Table Tickets Still Available

Join us for our 12th Annual Farm to Table Benefit! Don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience on Shelter Island where friends and family come together to support our mission to preserve, cultivate and share historic Sylvester Manor. Please click below for tickets or to make a donation to support Sylvester Manor. We are currently 80% sold!

June 28
6-10:30pm
Manor Grounds

Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor Opening Reception

Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor, an outdoor exhibition of sculptures, installations and artistic expressions, will take place on our historic landscape for the second year, from June 14 to September 14. The exhibition will engage a diverse spectrum of artists local to the East End of Long Island.

Join us for an opening reception on June 14 at 4pm to meet the artists and tour the exhibition. Curator Tom Cugliani will lead a guided tour at 2pm before the reception. Please RSVP as there is limited availability on the tour. Recommended for ages 10+.

Opening Reception & Tour
June 14
Tour: 2pm
Reception: 4-6pm
Manor Grounds
Free and open to the public
 

Farm Update

Our farm team is busy planting and prepping for the first CSA distribution on June 14th. The CSA is currently sold out but email us if you would like to be added to our wait list. While the focus is on field work right now, asparagus is being harvesting, we have lots of seedlings and we’re expecting strawberries in the not too distant future. Our chickens and ducks are doing well, and the 14 piglets we brought in a couple months ago are thriving. Don’t forget to pick up fresh eggs and frozen pork at the Farmstand.

We are looking for a couple more farmers to join the team this year. The job posting can be found here. Please help us spread the word!

Farmstand Update

Introducing Manor Made! It’s long been a dream of ours to use our produce to create our own value-added products made right here at Sylvester Manor and now it’s happening! Thanks to Chef Susan Strauss, you can now purchase a variety of tasty treats at the Farmstand including galettes, quiches, pocket pies, pesto, salsa, breads and even lasagna. Stop by and let us know what you think.

In addition to our own Manor Grown produce, flowers, plants, eggs and woodland-raised pork, this year’s Farmstand lineup includes pies from NoFo Pot Pies, ice cream from Milk Pail, pizza from Terry’s Pizza, baked goods and soups from Ali Katz Kitchen, salads from The Lettuce Lady, Holly Cronin’s skin care products, Stars Café coffee and croissants, Catapano cheeses, South Fork Bakery goodies and lots more. 

Farmstand Hours
5/30, 5/31, 6/1: open 9am-5pm
6/6, 6/7, 6/8: open 9am-5pm
6/12, 6/13, 6/14, 6/15: open 9am-5pm
6/19-8/31: open 7 days/week, 9am-5pm

Farmstand Credit Available

Thank you to all of our CSA members who purchased shares this year. We are sold out but we do still have farmstand credits available. Purchase one today to enjoy all the Farmstand products at a discounted rate throughout the season.

Summer Youth Program:

New Filmmaking Program Added

Overstory: Documenting the Old Growth Forest is a brand new filmmaking program for children (ages 6-10) who have a passion for the moving story and the natural world. This new program introduces children to the world of filmmaking while providing an adventurous and supportive environment with which to facilitate an opportunity to explore the world of visual storytelling. Children will spend their days in the Old Growth Forest on the grounds of Sylvester Manor documenting the flora and fauna of the forest in both nonfiction and whimsical stories.  

We also still have some spaces available in our Traditional Youth Program (ages 2-7), Fig & Forest Culinary (ages 8-10), Forest Theatre (ages 7-14) and OWLS (ages 8-12). Give your child a Sylvester Manor summer full of wonder, nature, friends and more!

OVERSTORY 
Weekly Monday through Friday
June 30-August 15, 2025
9:00am-12:30pm
$550/week

Wilderness Wanderings

Focusing on a nature-based theme, Wilderness Wanderings lets kids explore subjects that usually aren’t observed during daylight hours. Led by educators Mark Mobius and Amy Adkison, the group will wander to a secret location on the grounds of Sylvester Manor, noticing and talking about the evening’s topic.Kids will enjoy an activity, cook dinner (hot dogs/s’mores), read a story and observe the natural environment.

July 10: Fireflies
July 24: Animal Abodes
August 7: Scientific Senses
August 28: Swamp Things

6-8:30pm
$100/session

This program is for ages 5-8 years old and limited space is available.

Shakespeare at the Manor

Join us for another magical weekend of Shakespeare this summer! Robin Aren Productions presents one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, Much Ado About Nothing. Come join the accomplished cast of NYC and local actors directed by Bay Street’s Allen O’Reilly as they return once again to beautiful Sylvester Manor to present one of the most enduring of all Shakespeare’s plays.

Much Ado About Nothing
July 26 & 27
6pm (gates open at 5:30pm)
Manor Grounds
$35 per person
(children 10 and under are free)

Manor House Preservation Update

This month, we continue cataloging and packing the books to clear the way for our Manor House rehabilitation. With summer fast approaching, books addressing flora and fauna caught our attention. Initials on this book’s flyleaf indicate ownership by Phoebe Dayton Gardiner. The Farmer’s Assistant, written by John Nicholson and published in 1820, is an encyclopedia covering all agriculture and rural living topics arranged alphabetically. For example, pages 12-13 cover apricot, ashes, asparagus, ass, and barley. This section caught our eye as asparagus season ends soon after a bountiful harvest. Even as we eagerly prepare for construction, our farmers are never far from our minds, especially with Community Supported Agriculture pickups starting June 14.

Trails Open

The trails and grounds are open for your enjoyment, seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. Pick up a map highlighting our four walking trails (Creekside, Woodlands, Old Growth Forest and Farm). Paper maps are available at the kiosk at the front entrance to the Manor and also at the Welcome kiosk located by the parking area near the bathrooms. You can always download a digital version by clicking the button below.

Due to storm damage, the Land Bridge is temporarily closed. Please adhere to the posted trail closures.

Leashed dogs are welcome, but please pick up after your dog and dispose of the waste properly. No bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. The public restrooms are open to the public.

Download the “Sylvester Manor Walking Tour” from the App Store for a self-guided tour of the grounds. Use the app and learn more about our historic property at your own pace.