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Craft Weekend

August 6 - 9, 2026

Registration is now open!

Step into a weekend of hands-on workshops, shared meals, and creative community at the Folk Art Guild.

What’s Included
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“I will be back every year. My new tradition.”

-Craft Weekend Participant Feedback

What’s Included

Craft Weekend is more than just a class—it’s a full immersion into creative life at the Folk Art Guild. Here’s what you can look forward to:

Hands-on workshops
Choose a course that calls to you and receive 18 hours of instruction from experienced teachers in pottery, painting, writing, woodturning, seed saving, and more.

Delicious, farm-fresh meals
All participants enjoy a daily lunch. Overnight guests also receive breakfast and dinner- wholesome meals prepared with care using local ingredients.

Time in nature
Swim in the pond, wander the trails, stargaze at night, or rest in a hammock. Our 350-acre campus of fields, forests, and hand-built studios invites you to slow down.

Open studios & evenings together
After class, keep creating or gather around the fire. Expect music, storytelling, games, and spontaneous fun under the stars.

A welcoming, intergenerational community
Craft Weekend brings together people of all ages and backgrounds, artists, newcomers, and curious hands alike. You'll find encouragement, laughter, and inspiration. Youth participants are welcomed in all courses.

Optional morning yoga
Start your day with gentle Iyengar yoga before breakfast, offered each morning for those who wish to join.

Our Courses

Craft Weekend offers a diverse range of hands-on courses—from traditional crafts to fresh ways of seeing and creating. Set in the lush Finger Lakes region, this four-day event invites students of all levels to explore new skills, connect with others, and deepen their creative practice. With guidance from skilled instructors and a welcoming community, it’s a summer experience you won’t forget.

Please make sure you have added your Course and Loging in your cart before you checkout! See the Registration Page for complete details.

Featured
Observational Drawing
Observational Drawing

Connect with the land and traditional skills through observational drawing. This class welcomes all levels and offers daily demos and one-on-one instruction as you create works inspired by the Guild’s landscape and architecture. Students are required to bring their own sketchbook.

Theater
Theater

Participate in a theater experiment that provides gentle challenges and explorations in a safe space. Using both classical & modern texts, games and improvisations, we will exercise, play, feel, move, go a little deeper into ourselves, connect with others and learn from each other.

Writing
Writing

Use writing as attentional practice. Explore writing as a tool for insight, resilience, and joy. Through prompts, readings, and shared reflection, this workshop invites you to deepen your connection with your inner voice and craft more honest, integrated stories of self.

Photography & the Art of Seeing
Photography & the Art of Seeing

Slow down, look deeper, and transform the way you see the world. In this workshop, photography, using only your cell phone, becomes a mindful practice—a way to observe, connect, and create with greater intention. All you need is your phone and an open eye.

Pottery
Sold Out
Pottery

Course Full, Waitlist Only.

Shape, sculpt, and discover the voice of the clay. Whether you're new to pottery or returning with experience, this hands-on workshop offers a full journey—from wheel and hand-building to early firing techniques—in the Guild’s original craft studio. An optional $40 materials fee covers firing and allows you to take your finished pieces home.

Seeds & Songs of Resilience
Seeds & Songs of Resilience

Whether you’re new to nature study and singing or have decades of experience tending these edges, you’re invited to join this circle of shared exploration dedicated to our shared well-being. As the world unravels, seeds and songs keep us grounded. Let’s explore how embodied creative practices can open pathways for personal and collective resilience.  We’ll play with song, explore gardens, forest bathe, write, reflect and rest.

Minimum 8 participants. In the event the course is not filled, you can change to an available course of your choosing or receive a full refund.

Weaving
Sold Out
Weaving

Course Full, Waitlist Only.

Learn to weave from start to finish on your own floor loom. This immersive course guides you through planning, warping, and weaving your own textile projects—no experience needed.

$30 materials fee to be paid to the Registrar upon arrival.

Woodturning
Sold Out
Woodturning

Course Full, Waitlist Only.

Turn raw wood into beautiful, functional vessels. This hands-on course introduces or deepens your skills in green woodturning, with personal instruction on your own lathe. Beginners and experienced turners welcome.

$45 materials fee to be paid to the Registrar upon arrival.

Learn more and register

“What a rare atmosphere of positive exploration and sharing. The level of conscious awareness among all participants was healing to me. And, the food was first rate!”

— Craft Weekend Participant

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Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Commuters receive lunch daily (Thursday–Sunday). Overnight guests (lodgers or campers) receive breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, starting with lunch on Thursday and ending with lunch on Sunday.

  • Start by selecting your preferred course from the registration options. Once selected, you’ll answer a few questions including your lodging preferences. If you plan to stay overnight, add your lodging type separately to your cart. When everything is in your cart, complete your checkout by clicking the shopping cart icon at the top of the page.

  • Your fee covers:

    • Your selected course with 18 hours of in-studio instruction

    • Daily meals from Thursday lunch to Sunday lunch. Lunch is included with all registrations. breakfast and dinner are included with overnight accommodations.

    • Shared lodging or camping (if selected)

    • Optional morning yoga and evening open studio time

  • Yes. We offer work-study positions and family discounts on a limited basis. If you would like to apply for a Work-Study position, please fill out the Work-Study application form on this page, below.

    Please contact our registrar, Beth Barnet, at marybeth.barnet@gmail.com with any questions or to inquire about eligibility.

  • Each course is a full, immersive experience and runs the entire weekend. Participants choose one workshop for a deep dive into that specific craft.

  • Yes—most indoor lodging is located up one flight of stairs in our Romeo Retreat Center, and some studios (such as weaving and woodturning) also involve stairs. Bathrooms are on the first floor. If mobility or accessibility is a concern, please reach out to us directly to discuss accommodations.

  • Yes, we do our best to accommodate most dietary needs. You're also welcome to bring your own food or snacks—there’s a shared refrigerator in the Romeo Retreat Center available for participant use.

  • Yes, you may use the refrigerator in the Romeo Retreat Center to store your own items.

  • During Craft Weekend, our focus is on participants enrolled in workshops, so we’re unable to host casual visitors during this time. But we welcome you to visit our East Hill Gallery. It is open Saturdays (11–5) and Sundays (1–5), and we offer many public events throughout the season. Check out our event calendar for more info.

  • Yes! Our East Hill Gallery is open during regular weekend hours: Saturdays 11–5 and Sundays 1–5. Stop by to see and purchase handcrafted work made by Guild artists.

  • Yes—commuters can add breakfast ($20) or dinner ($28) to their registration. Please contact our registrar at marybeth.barnet@gmail.com to add meals to your package.

  • Contact our registrar, Beth Barnet, via email at marybeth.barnet@gmail.com or call ‭(585) 314-6131‬

  • Some classes may be appropriate for youth, but it depends on the workshop and the individual. Please contact our registrar at marybeth.barnet@gmail.com to discuss which courses might be a good fit for your specific needs.

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Daily Schedule 2026

A man in a checkered red and white shirt, wearing suspenders and a cap, is standing behind a mirror and holding up two fabric items with leaf and flower patterns.

THURSDAY

10:00 am Onsite registration begins

12:30 Lunch

1:45 Workshop classes

5:00 Classes end

6:30 Dinner

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

7:00 Yoga (optional)

8:00 Breakfast

9:15 Workshop classes

12:30 Lunch

1:45 Workshop classes

5:00 Classes end

6:30 Dinner

Evening Program (optional)

SUNDAY

7:00 Yoga (optional)

8:00 Breakfast

9:15 Workshop classes

12:30 Closing Lunch and Group Sharing

Interested in a

Work Study position?

Any student can step into a helpful role by being part of our Work-Study team. These students participate fully in a workshop with additional work hours throughout the weekend in exchange for a tuition reduction. Work Study students are required to pay for their lodging (includes meals) which you can add to your cart from the registration page.

Work-Study jobs include things like setting up before meals and keeping common areas tidy. To apply for a Work-Study position please fill out the form below, and the Registrar will be in touch about availabilities.

A person wearing protective eyewear and a dust-covered shirt operates a woodworking lathe in a workshop, focusing on shaping a piece of wood.

Ready to join us?

Whether you're a returning student or new to the Guild, Craft Weekend is a chance to learn, connect, and create in a truly special place. Choose your course, add your lodging, and we’ll see you this August.

Register now