Connecticut College Arboretum

06/02/2026

We had a fantastic evening of music this past Friday at our 14th Annual Music in the Meadow concert featuring Carlyle, The Rivergods and Bards of Gungywamp!

Join us this summer for our BRAND NEW 2026 Summer Concert Series:

Sunday, June 21 @ 3pm
FATHER'S DAY & MAKE MUSIC DAY CONCERT
Sarah Mac & Roy Dunn MacLean
with special guests Brandt Taylor and Corina Malbaurn

Tuesday, July 21 @ 6:30pm
Multiplier
Electro/Dub/EDM

Tuesday, August 18 @ 6:30pm
Red Lion
Roots/Rock/Reggae

All concerts $10/person -or- $20/family of 4

To look for upcoming shows for Carlyle, The Rivergods and Bards of Gungywamp keep an eye out on the sites below:
CARLYLE: linktr.ee/carlylemakesmusic
RIVERGODS: www.therivergods.com
BARDS OF GUNGYWAMP: https://bardsofgungywamp.com/

The Rivergods are excited to help organize and participate in the first New London Folk Festival at Hygienic Art Park, happening Saturday, July 11 from 3-11pm. This event will feature 15 area artists/groups performing on two stages and will coincide with other musical/entertainment happenings during Celebrate New London, including the annual fireworks show in the Thames harbor. More information can be found at https://newlondonfolkfest.wordpress.com

05/28/2026

Music in the Meadow tomorrow night!
Featuring Carlyle, The Rivergods & Bards of Gungywamp!
Gates open at 6pm. $10/person -or- $20/family of 4.

05/28/2026

Join us in welcoming our summer interns: Grace, Cindy and Abraham. They will primarily be working with our horticulture team to care for our plant collections. If you see them out in the landscape, say hi!

05/26/2026

Congratulations to the Wild Ones Mountain Laurel (Connecticut) Chapter on 20 years of promoting the use of native plants in Connecticut! The Connecticut College Arboretum has had a close relationship with the chapter since it's inception in 2006 and we look forward to working with you for the next 20 years!

05/22/2026

Music in the Meadow Spotlight: Bards of Gungywamp

Bards of Gungywamp (BOG) is a folk group from southeastern CT blending Celtic, Bluegrass, Chanteys, Country, Cajun and original music drawing on history and folk tales. Traveling the mountains and valleys of New England and beyond with sawing fiddle dance melodies and enchanting vocal harmonies, BOG is a group of true Bards, carrying on traditional songs from hundreds of years ago and bringing new stories to the table.

14th Annual Music in the Meadow
Friday, May 29
Gates open at 6 p.m.
Music starts at 6:30 p.m.
$10 per person -or- $20 per family (2 adults & 2 children)
CASH ONLY
Connecticut College Arboretum Native Plant Collection
Outdoor Theater
New London, CT (06320)
Enter at:
830 Williams Street
-or-
33 Gallows Lane
Lawn seating.
Bring your own chairs/blanket and picnic/snacks.

05/22/2026

Celebrate 20 years of the Mountain Laurel (CT) chapter of Wild Ones! This Saturday from 10am to 1pm at the Connecticut College Arboretum 33 Gallows Lane. Open to the public.

The Mountain Laurel was the first Wild Ones chapter in New England, chartered in May 2006.  Join us to celebrate our 20th anniversary and reflect upon...

05/22/2026

Library spotlight! This year, America is turning the big 2-5-0, and what better time is there to explore the world of colonial botany? The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf is a narrative history of the Bartrams, botanist and plant explorers in 18th and 19th century America who were responsible for introducing many of our favorite plants - including Arbo favorite Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha) into cultivation, for better or worse. Check out this story of trade and empire in the Arbo library today!

05/21/2026

Music in the Meadow Artist Spotlight: The Rivergods

The Rivergods are an original, award-winning act based in southeastern CT that has played its own heartfelt harmony-rich folky/rootsy/rockish music since 1997. The Rivergods are fronted by husband/wife songwriters, Ben and Nancy Parent, and their current "Acousticana" lineup includes Mark Gehret on upright bass and Steve Elci on percussion/harmony vocals. The Rivergods are readying a new full-length album for release later this year.

“Together since 1997 and as American as music comes, the Rivergods are a genre-defying collection of the ethereal, the gritty, the raw and the real.”– Tim Malcolm, Norwich Bulletin

14th Annual Music in the Meadow
Friday, May 29
Gates open at 6 p.m.
Music starts at 6:30 p.m.
$10 per person -or- $20 per family (2 adults & 2 children)
CASH ONLY
Connecticut College Arboretum Native Plant Collection
Outdoor Theater
New London, CT (06320)
Enter at:
830 Williams Street
-or-
33 Gallows Lane
Lawn seating.
Bring your own chairs/blanket and picnic/snacks.

05/20/2026

Music in the Meadow Artist Spotlight: Carlyle

Carlyle is a CT-based indie pop-folk duo built on decades of friendship. Mary and Allyson first made music together in the alt-rock band Waking Elliot before stepping away to focus on their growing families. They've since returned to songwriting with a softer, more intimate sound - trading electric guitars for ukulele, piano, and introspective lyrics. Known for their seamless, sister-like harmonies, Carlyle creates music rooted in emotion, resilience, and the beauty of everyday life.

14th Annual Music in the Meadow
Friday, May 29
Gates open at 6 p.m.
Music starts at 6:30 p.m.
$10 per person -or- $20 per family (2 adults & 2 children)
Connecticut College Arboretum Native Plant Collection
Outdoor Theater
New London, CT (06320)
Enter at:
830 Williams Street
-or-
33 Gallows Lane

Lawn seating.
Bring your own chairs/blanket and picnic/snacks.

05/20/2026

Thank you ArbNet for featuring the Connecticut College Arboretum's Caroline Black Garden in your spring photo collage of great gardens and arboreta around the world!