Ben Freiert Live at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
Ben Freiert performs at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard in North Stonington on Sunday, September 6, bringing an afternoon of acoustic rock, indie, folk and alternative music to one of southeastern Connecticut’s newer vineyard destinations.
The music runs from 3 to 5 p.m., with Freiert performing as part of Kingdom of the Hawk’s weekend live music series. Fire in the Kitchen Pizza will also be on site Sunday, pairing the performance with wood-fired pizza and wine, with Connecticut craft beer and cider available from the vineyard.
One important detail for this date: Kingdom of the Hawk says its 5 p.m. closing will be prompt on September 6 because of a private event afterward.
Ben Freiert Has Been Making Music for More Than Two Decades
Freiert is a Stonington-area musician whose history goes considerably further back than the local acoustic shows where many listeners may know him today.
He began playing music more than two decades ago, starting with trumpet in middle school. While in college, he formed the original rock band Twenty Grand with his roommate, performing near their school and in New York City.
His current performances move among indie, folk and alternative music, with Freiert playing both guitar and piano.
Local music resource Wailing City describes him more broadly as a rock, covers and acoustic performer, which helps explain the variety of venues where he appears around southeastern Connecticut.
This summer alone, Freiert has been part of several regional outdoor music series. In August, he performed at Deans Mill Farm and headlined one of Stonington Vineyards’ Friday Summer Concert Series dates.
From Covers to Original Music
Freiert isn’t limited to interpreting other artists’ material.
In 2024, he released the original single “Let Yourself Go,” adding recorded original music to a live career that has often mixed familiar songs with indie and alternative influences.
That balance makes him particularly well suited to the vineyard circuit, where the music has to work both for listeners who settle in specifically to hear the performer and guests who are spending an afternoon talking over wine with friends.
The September 6 appearance gives him two hours at Kingdom of the Hawk rather than functioning as a short opening set.
Fire in the Kitchen Pizza Joins the Afternoon
Sunday’s music is paired with Fire in the Kitchen Pizza, which Kingdom of the Hawk has scheduled as its food vendor for the afternoon.
The vineyard asks guests to support its visiting food trucks and vendors when they’re on site and specifically requests that visitors not bring outside food or picnics on those days.
That’s worth knowing before packing for the afternoon.
Kingdom of the Hawk normally allows guests to bring their own food when there isn’t a food vendor present, but September 6 is one of the exceptions.
Outside alcohol is never permitted.
Wine by the Glass or Bottle, But No Tastings
Kingdom of the Hawk operates a little differently from some Connecticut wineries.
The vineyard currently does not offer traditional wine tastings or flights.
Instead, its wines are available by the glass or bottle to share. The tasting room also carries a rotating selection of Connecticut craft beer and cider.
Cheese, charcuterie, crackers and other smaller bites are normally available for purchase in addition to the visiting food vendors scheduled on select weekends.
Visitors who haven’t been to Kingdom of the Hawk before shouldn’t arrive expecting a structured wine flight followed by the concert. This is much more of a settle-in-with-a-glass-or-bottle afternoon.
One of Southeastern Connecticut’s Newest Vineyard Destinations
Kingdom of the Hawk is relatively new, but the people behind it have much deeper roots in Connecticut wine.
Owners Michael and Merrily Connery purchased the North Stonington property in 2018 and planted vines almost immediately.
The couple also owns Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, where they famously transformed a former World War II-era airplane hangar and surrounding farmland into a vineyard and winery.
Kingdom of the Hawk became their second vineyard project.
The North Stonington property encompasses approximately 50 acres of farmland, with the vineyard surrounded by woods and wildlife.
Its name isn’t simply decorative. Hawks are regularly seen over the property.
The Barn Is Part of the Attraction
The building in Freiert’s concert announcement isn’t an old New England barn that happened to survive on the property.
It’s contemporary architecture deliberately designed to evoke one.
Michael Connery has described wanting a “barn sensibility” while keeping the building contemporary.
The result combines a traditional agricultural form with modern materials and large expanses of glass, positioned on the edge of a hill overlooking the vineyard, fields and surrounding landscape.
That gives Kingdom of the Hawk a noticeably different character from a tasting room inserted into an existing farm building.
The architecture was designed as part of the vineyard experience from the beginning.
On a Sunday afternoon, that means Freiert’s performance isn’t simply taking place inside a winery. The music is part of a larger setting of vineyard rows, open lawn, woods and the modern barn overlooking the property.
Indoor Reservations Are Available, Outdoor Space Is First Come
Reservations aren’t required for a casual visit, although Kingdom of the Hawk recommends them for larger groups wanting indoor seating.
Reservations apply only to indoor tables.
The vineyard does not reserve outdoor seating or its fireside lounge areas.
That distinction matters on live-music afternoons, when outdoor spaces can become popular.
Visitors interested in a particular outdoor spot should plan accordingly rather than assuming a reservation guarantees one.
A Sunday Afternoon Before an Early Close
Most Sundays, Kingdom of the Hawk is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
September 6 follows those hours, but the vineyard has emphasized that the 5 p.m. close is firm because a private event follows the public tasting-room hours.
Freiert’s performance has therefore been scheduled to fit exactly into the final two hours of the public day.
Music begins at 3 p.m.
Fire in the Kitchen Pizza will be there.
Wine, Connecticut beer and cider will be available.
And at 5 p.m., the afternoon comes to an end.
Event Details
Event: Ben Freiert Live at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
Date: Sunday, September 6, 2026
Music: 3–5 p.m.
Vineyard Hours: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Venue: Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
Address: 113 Pendleton Hill Road, North Stonington, CT 06359
Performer: Ben Freiert
Music: Acoustic, rock, indie, folk and alternative
Food: Fire in the Kitchen Pizza
Drinks: Kingdom of the Hawk wine by the glass or bottle, plus Connecticut craft beer and cider
Tastings/Flights: Not currently offered
Outside Food: The vineyard asks guests not to bring outside food when a food truck or vendor is on site
Outside Alcohol: Not permitted
Important: The vineyard will close promptly at 5 p.m. for a private event
Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.