2026-10-09 · By Shop New Canaan Association
Hello New Canaan,
You have a few very different ways to spend Saturday: the Fall Fair at the Nature Center, a quieter autumn walk at Grace Farms, or an hour of percussion at the library with the kids. Pick the one that fits your day. You do not need to turn the weekend into a checklist.
Before the calendar, though, a story from Elm Street. Francos has been serving New Canaan since 1933, but the family business started with something rather different from wine.
In the 1920s, during Prohibition, Albert Franco opened a greengrocer on Main Street. According to the family’s account shared with Shop New Canaan, he moved to upper Elm Street in the late 1920s. The day after Prohibition ended, he drove to Hartford to obtain a liquor permit. Francos Wine was born.
The business passed through successive generations of the family, including Albert’s brothers and sister, and later Rick, Anne and Carl. Carl Franco is its current steward. More than 90 years after that trip to Hartford, the shop is still part of Elm Street.
That history gives a little extra context to a visit to 130 Elm. The shop describes its approach as getting to know your preferences and making recommendations around them. If you are buying for a dinner, bringing the menu is a useful starting point; if you are buying a gift, bring a few clues about what the recipient likes.
There is also a chance to meet the business in a different setting next Thursday, when Francos joins the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society for its annual wine tasting. Details are below.
Francos is a Shop New Canaan Association member. Read the family’s story.
Friday, Oct. 9 · 5–9 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 10 · 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 11 · noon–5 p.m.
New Canaan Nature Center · 144 Oenoke Ridge
The Nature Center’s Fall Fair runs all weekend, so a crowded Saturday calendar does not rule it out. One detail to catch before you buy: Friday wristbands apply to Friday only. The organizer says tickets are also available at the event. Check the fair page for the ticket options that match your visit.
Saturday, Oct. 10 · 11 a.m.–noon
Grace Farms · 365 Lukes Wood Road
The Garden Team leads a casual Autumn Stroll through the landscape. Admission is $15, or $12 for Grace Farms members. The route includes uneven terrain and is not suitable for strollers, wheelchairs or walkers—a useful detail when deciding whether this is the right outing for your group.
Saturday, Oct. 10 · 1–2 p.m.
New Canaan Library · 151 Main Street
Norwalk Symphony percussionists visit for Not Just for Kids, with instrument demonstrations and a hands-on Percussion Petting Zoo. The session takes place in the Jim & Dede Bartlett Auditorium and Community Room. Registration is required; use the library’s event page rather than assuming you can drop in.
Thursday, Oct. 15 · 6–8 p.m.
New Canaan Museum & Historical Society · 13 Oenoke Ridge
Francos and Kobrand present wines from Italy, France and California, with light bites. Tickets are $20 for Museum members and $40 for nonmembers; those are Museum membership prices. A portion of wine purchase proceeds benefits the Museum. Check the organizer’s page for reservations.
A useful errand can be the beginning of a downtown afternoon. The Linen Shop, at 21 Elm Street, has served New Canaan since 1974 and carries bed, bath and table linens, home accessories and gifts.
If a tablecloth is on your list, measure the table before leaving home and decide how far you want the cloth to hang over its edges. For bedding, bring the mattress and insert sizes. It makes the conversation in the shop more productive than trying to remember measurements at the counter.
Its published hours are Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday visits are by appointment. It is an Association member. Browse the shop’s website.
If you are heading to the library on Saturday, leave some time on either side for Elm Street. A single shop visit is enough; there is no prize for covering the whole downtown in one afternoon.
Our parking map can help you choose where to start. Read the signs where you park for the current limits. For a longer wander, the downtown guide brings the shopping area together in one place.
Which New Canaan business has a story you would like to know? Reply with its name and the question you would ask. A specific question is especially useful: how it started, how something is made, or what has changed over the years.
Thanks for making room for local businesses in your week.
Shop New Canaan Association
Own a local business? Explore Association membership.
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