Blairsden and the Schiff Nature Preserve in Mendham share several historical and physical connections. Both properties were originally developed as grand country estates during the so-called "Country House Era" by socially prominent families that knew one another, and both properties are situated along the flowing waters of the North Branch of the Raritan River.
Farm to Table Dinner to Include Champagne Reception & Guided Mansion Tour
$250 per person
Your evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a guided tour of the mansion and a champagne reception. After the tour, period cocktails will be served on the terrace overlooking Ravine Lake and the Somerset Hills. Famed Chef David Felton will once again delight us with his award-winning culinary talents featuring a three-course locally sourced seasonal menu featuring River Bend Farm beef (vegetarian option available), along with an array of seasonal fruits and vegetables from Alstede Farms, and expertly paired fine wines. During the evening, guests will enjoy live music, works of art, and historical displays in the decorated rooms of the storied mansion.
Farm to Table Dinner
$200 per person
Your evening will begin at 6 p.m. with period cocktails on the terrace overlooking Ravine Lake and the Somerset Hills. Cocktails will be followed by a three-course locally sourced seasonal menu featuring River Bend Farm beef (vegetarian option available), along with an array of seasonal fruits and vegetables from Alstede Farms, and expertly paired fine wines. Guests can look forward to live music, works of art, and historical displays in the decorated rooms of the storied mansion.
Daytime Landscape Tours
Times: 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.
$45 per person
For those of you who wish to learn even more about the mansion, historian and author W. Barry Thomson and landscape designer Ania Baas, an authority on Blairsden's original landscape architect, James Leal Greenleaf, will lead you on a guided walking tour of the historic mansion's spectacular hilltop grounds. Aided by the use of archival photographs, the tour will showcase the estate's original landscape that was described by architectural critic Barr Ferree in his influential 1904 book, American Estates and Gardens, as "one of the most elaborate and extensive schemes of its kind ever carried out in America." Two tours will be offered at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and are limited to 40 people each.
The unique evening event is limited to 150 people.
Schiff Member Tickets will be available in August. General Ticketing will open in September.
Become a Member of Schiff today and increase your ability to have a seat at the table!
Please join us in acknowledging and thanking our Farm to Table event Sponsors. Their support and partnership will ensure the success of this event.
