Wednesday, September 25, 5:30-8:00 PM
Beautiful orchard views, local food produced by CC&D’s Kitchen Market, music performed by MB Padfield, wagon rides, star gazing, storytelling around the fire pit, and engaging conversation with rural thinkers and doers from across the country…need we say more? Ok, we will!
It’s our 18th annual CONNECT Event is this year! Though the event has evolved over these nearly two decades, the idea behind it has always been very simple–connecting is good for everyone, at every scale. When we do this, we shape and share ideas in ways that are meaningful for our communities. In fact, it was at one of our CONNECT events that the idea for using rural downtowns as conference venues came about.
We also believe that really, really good food and drinks in beautiful settings make the joy of connecting that much more joyful!
For the first time in over a decade, we will return to our original location, Alyson’s Orchard. Since 1981, Alyson’s has been a staple in our rural region. They recently navigated a successful business transition to new ownership, and has therefore entered an era of rebirth with a new tavern, additional pick-your-own crops, and more. Since our theme this year is “Regenerate Rural”, we love that this story is an example of the next GENERATion stepping up to the plate.
Sponsored by 
Those who have registered for the summit already have this event included in their ticket price.
Those from the community who would like to join for CONNECT only can purchase separate tickets by scrolling to the bottom of the registration page.
Taking the shuttle bus from downtown Keene to Alyson’s Orchard? Check out the bus schedule!
Meet CC&D’s Kitchen Market
Good food made with love and laughs. Charcoal Charlie Pini, an award winning chef and BBQ pitmaster, Denise Meadows a catering powerhouse and passionate localvore. Together they share decades of experience, stories and scars in cooking between them, running kitchens and restaurants, creating magic, and taking care of their guests and yours. CC&D’s Kitchen Market is your spot for mouthwatering take-out lunch, dinner, Charlie’s famous barbecue and a market stocked with grab & go items including local cheeses & charcuterie. The Market is home to Charcoal Charlie Productions and Free Range Chick Catering for all your catering needs. It’s about remarkable food and happy faces, serving a neighborhood, a community and the Monadnock Region.History
Hannah Grimes Center and the Keene Sentinel came together in 2016 and 2017 to grow CONNECT, an event initiated by Hannah Grimes in 2006 to connect graduates of one of its business programs and grew to include graduates and participants of Hannah Grimes programming, funders, board members, and the local business and community.
The new approach and concept of CONNECT, to showcase the innovation and entrepreneurship in the Monadnock Region, drew crowds of 400 to network in a fusion of art, food and music. This success suggested something bigger was possible: A small town summit at which experts in the arts, downtowns, entrepreneurship, land use, clean energy, healthcare and journalism could gather and share thoughts on sustainable, thriving rural communities. Radically Rural was born with an emphasis, as its name suggests, on inventive, contemporary approaches that attendees could absorb and take home. Radically Rural has kept CONNECT as a key part of the event to this day.
