Shop New Canaan
Shop New Canaan is your local guide to independent shops, dining, events and time well spent downtown.
Published by the independent, member-supported Shop New Canaan Association. About the Association.
Plan your shopping visit
Looking for a gift, something for your home or a few shops to browse? Start with our New Canaan shopping guide.
Core resources
Upcoming events
Tomashi Jackson and Robert Rauschenberg: The Catch One
Date: 2026-04-16 through 2026-12-14
Schedule: April 16–December 14 · Access during timed tours
Time: On view through December 14
For: Ages 8+; children must be accompanied by an adult
Venue: The Glass House Visitor Center + Design Store
Address: The Glass House Visitor Center, 199 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT 06840
Organizer: The Glass House
Admission: Timed tour ticket required
Registration: Advance booking recommended; tours depart by shuttle from the Visitor Center
Official details: https://theglasshouse.org/whats-on/
Type: Exhibition
An exhibition placing work by Tomashi Jackson and Robert Rauschenberg in conversation across The Glass House campus. Access is governed by The Glass House’s timed-tour schedule. Exhibition and ticket information
Watercolor Florals and Brush Calligraphy
Date: 2026-11-01
Schedule: Sunday, November 1, 2026 · 3:00 – 6:00 PM
Time: 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Venue: Carriage Barn Arts Center
Address: 681 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT 06840
Organizer: Carriage Barn Arts Center
Admission: Member $95 / Non Member $110
Registration: Register on the Carriage Barn event page
Official details: https://carriagebarn.org/event/watercolor-florals-and-brush-calligraphy/
Type: Event
Three-hour creative workshop led by illustrator and calligrapher Dina Ruzha combining watercolor florals with modern brush calligraphy. Participants learn simple watercolor techniques for flowers, leaves, and botanical elements, then explore modern calligraphy with a fine brush and watercolor, and bring the two together into a finished botanical artwork to take home. All levels welcome; no previous watercolor or calligraphy experience required. Second date of the workshop (Sunday November 1, 3–6 PM) listed on the same official Carriage Barn page as the October 28 session.
The Beatles: A Magical Musical History Tour — Volume 2
Date: 2026-11-01
Schedule: Sunday, November 1, 2026 · 4:00–5:30 PM · Volume 2: Artistry & Style
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Venue: Carriage Barn Arts Center
Address: 681 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT 06840
Organizer: New Canaan Museum & Historical Society and Carriage Barn Arts Center
Admission: Volume 2 only: $35; Carriage Barn members $25. Volume 1 & 2 combination: $60; members $45
Registration: Buy tickets on the Carriage Barn event page (or through the NCMHS event page)
Official details: https://carriagebarn.org/event/the-beatles/
Type: Event
New Canaan native Eliot Goldberg — TV producer, host of the music podcast Sonic Impact, and lifelong Beatles expert — uses The Beatles’ songs to explore the visual and cultural revolution they inspired. This multimedia program at Carriage Barn Arts Center draws on film and TV clips, album artwork, photography, fashion, and style, and ends with a live performance of Beatles songs. Volume 2 focuses on artistry and style; Volume 1 (history) runs Friday, October 30 at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society. Come to one or buy a combination ticket for both.
Awesome Autumn Day
Date: 2026-11-03
Schedule: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 · 1:00 – 3:00pm
Time: 1:00 – 3:00pm
For: Families with children ages 3–10; adults must accompany children
Venue: New Canaan Nature Center
Address: 144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840
Organizer: New Canaan Nature Center
Admission: Free; donations appreciated
Registration: Free drop-in; children must be accompanied by adults (not a drop-off program)
Official details: https://newcanaannature.org/awesome-autumn-day/
Type: event
Free drop-in Awesome Autumn Day at New Canaan Nature Center on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 1:00–3:00pm. Family-friendly field games (pumpkin ring toss, corn hole, parachute games, and more), autumnal crafts, pumpkin scavenger hunt, animal meet-and-greet, and apple slingshots. For families with children ages 3–10; children must be accompanied by adults. Donations appreciated.
Traditional Magic Show, aka "Magic (and the Stinky Gym Socks)"
Date: 2026-11-03
Schedule: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 2:00–3:00 PM
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
For: Grades K–5 and families
Venue: New Canaan Library — Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium + Community Room + Kend Kitchen
Address: 151 Main Street, New Canaan, CT 06840
Organizer: New Canaan Library
Registration: Registration required; closes November 3, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Official details: https://www.newcanaanlibrary.org/event/family-bingomagic-hold-200604
Type: Family Show
Magician Matt Matthews brings a family magic show full of laughter and surprises — objects disappear, reappear, and transform, audience members join him on stage, and he teaches one of his favorite tricks (with way too many stinky gym socks). Best for kids in grades K–5 and their families. Free library program; registration required.
Alien Intelligence: Exploring Yuval Noah Harari's Ideas on AI
Date: 2026-11-03
Schedule: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 6:30–7:30 PM
Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
For: Adults
Venue: New Canaan Library — Craig B. Tate Conference Room
Address: 151 Main Street, New Canaan, CT 06840
Organizer: New Canaan Library
Registration: Registration required; closes November 3, 2026 @ 6:30pm
Official details: https://www.newcanaanlibrary.org/event/reference-hold-239000
Type: Talk
Presenter Peter Farnsworth, a long-time New Canaan resident, leads a fast-moving, visual look at the ideas of historian Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens, who argues that "AI" should stand for alien intelligence: thinking, deciding, and creating in ways fundamentally unlike us. The talk covers Harari's view of AI's promise in medicine and safety, the growing number of decisions algorithms make about loans, jobs, and courts, the guardrails Harari proposes, and his 2018 book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. For adults; registration required.
Election Day Family Fun
Date: 2026-11-03
Schedule: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 11:00 AM–1:30 PM
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
For: Families and all ages
Venue: New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
Address: 13 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840
Organizer: New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
Admission: $30 per person for Museum members; $35 per person for nonmembers
Registration: Registration requested (space limited); tickets non-refundable; rain or shine
Official details: https://nchistory.org/election-day-family-fun-2026/
Type: Family
An Election Day gathering for families, or anyone, at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society. Admission includes an all-you-can-eat lunch of Chez Lenard's hot dogs with chips, drinks, cookies, and candy, plus a patriotic craft, a kids' voting booth, a bounce castle, and touch-a-truck activities including a New Canaan Fire Department fire truck. Adults can enter a trivia contest for a chance to win a family Museum membership, and several Museum buildings will be open to explore. Rain or shine; space is limited, so registration is requested. Tickets are non-refundable.
Medicare: What's New for 2027?
Date: 2026-11-04
Schedule: Wednesday, November 4 · 11:00 AM–12:00 PM · Dining Room
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
For: Adults 21+
Venue: Lapham Community Center
Address: Lapham Community Center, New Canaan, CT
Organizer: Lapham Community Center / New Canaan Parks and Recreation
Admission: $0.00 Res
Registration: Log in to register via myrec Lapham Fall Events (ProgramID 31170, ActivityID 148365)
Official details: https://newcanaanct.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=31170
Type: Wellness
Medicare: What's New for 2027? at Lapham Community Center Dining Room on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM. Listed under Lapham Fall Events (ActivityID 148365); ages 21y and up; $0.00 Res. Registration via New Canaan Parks and Recreation myrec.
About this source
Shop New Canaan maintains a curated local directory and event calendar. Time-sensitive details should be confirmed using the official organizer or business link included with each listing.