BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The CT Beacon - ECPv6.18.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://thectbeacon.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The CT Beacon
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260906T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260906T170000
DTSTAMP:20260903T195459Z
CREATED:20260903T195459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T195459Z
UID:10007469-1788706800-1788714000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Ben Freiert Live at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
DESCRIPTION: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. \nThe 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. \nOne 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. \nBen Freiert Has Been Making Music for More Than Two Decades\nFreiert is a Stonington-area musician whose history goes considerably further back than the local acoustic shows where many listeners may know him today. \nHe 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. \nHis current performances move among indie\, folk and alternative music\, with Freiert playing both guitar and piano. \nLocal 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. \nThis 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. \nFrom Covers to Original Music\nFreiert isn’t limited to interpreting other artists’ material. \nIn 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. \nThat 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. \nThe September 6 appearance gives him two hours at Kingdom of the Hawk rather than functioning as a short opening set. \nFire in the Kitchen Pizza Joins the Afternoon\nSunday’s music is paired with Fire in the Kitchen Pizza\, which Kingdom of the Hawk has scheduled as its food vendor for the afternoon. \nThe 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. \nThat’s worth knowing before packing for the afternoon. \nKingdom 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. \nOutside alcohol is never permitted. \nWine by the Glass or Bottle\, But No Tastings\nKingdom of the Hawk operates a little differently from some Connecticut wineries. \nThe vineyard currently does not offer traditional wine tastings or flights. \nInstead\, 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. \nCheese\, charcuterie\, crackers and other smaller bites are normally available for purchase in addition to the visiting food vendors scheduled on select weekends. \nVisitors 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. \nOne of Southeastern Connecticut’s Newest Vineyard Destinations\nKingdom of the Hawk is relatively new\, but the people behind it have much deeper roots in Connecticut wine. \nOwners Michael and Merrily Connery purchased the North Stonington property in 2018 and planted vines almost immediately. \nThe 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. \nKingdom of the Hawk became their second vineyard project. \nThe North Stonington property encompasses approximately 50 acres of farmland\, with the vineyard surrounded by woods and wildlife. \nIts name isn’t simply decorative. Hawks are regularly seen over the property. \nThe Barn Is Part of the Attraction\nThe building in Freiert’s concert announcement isn’t an old New England barn that happened to survive on the property. \nIt’s contemporary architecture deliberately designed to evoke one. \nMichael Connery has described wanting a “barn sensibility” while keeping the building contemporary. \nThe 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. \nThat gives Kingdom of the Hawk a noticeably different character from a tasting room inserted into an existing farm building. \nThe architecture was designed as part of the vineyard experience from the beginning. \nOn 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. \nIndoor Reservations Are Available\, Outdoor Space Is First Come\nReservations aren’t required for a casual visit\, although Kingdom of the Hawk recommends them for larger groups wanting indoor seating. \nReservations apply only to indoor tables. \nThe vineyard does not reserve outdoor seating or its fireside lounge areas. \nThat distinction matters on live-music afternoons\, when outdoor spaces can become popular. \nVisitors interested in a particular outdoor spot should plan accordingly rather than assuming a reservation guarantees one. \nA Sunday Afternoon Before an Early Close\nMost Sundays\, Kingdom of the Hawk is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. \nSeptember 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. \nFreiert’s performance has therefore been scheduled to fit exactly into the final two hours of the public day. \nMusic begins at 3 p.m. \nFire in the Kitchen Pizza will be there. \nWine\, Connecticut beer and cider will be available. \nAnd at 5 p.m.\, the afternoon comes to an end. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Ben Freiert Live at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard\nDate: Sunday\, September 6\, 2026\nMusic: 3–5 p.m.\nVineyard Hours: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.\nVenue: Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard\nAddress: 113 Pendleton Hill Road\, North Stonington\, CT 06359\nPerformer: Ben Freiert\nMusic: Acoustic\, rock\, indie\, folk and alternative\nFood: Fire in the Kitchen Pizza\nDrinks: Kingdom of the Hawk wine by the glass or bottle\, plus Connecticut craft beer and cider\nTastings/Flights: Not currently offered\nOutside Food: The vineyard asks guests not to bring outside food when a food truck or vendor is on site\nOutside Alcohol: Not permitted\nImportant: The vineyard will close promptly at 5 p.m. for a private event \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/ben-freiert-live-at-kingdom-of-the-hawk-vineyard/
LOCATION:Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard\, 113 Pendelton Hill Road\, North Stonington\, 06359\, United States
CATEGORIES:Kingdom of the Hawk Winery
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Ben-Freiert-Live-at-Kingdom-of-the-Hawk-Vineyard.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T190000
DTSTAMP:20260907T161521Z
CREATED:20260907T161521Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260907T161521Z
UID:10007500-1789146000-1789153200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Ernie Lewis Solo Acoustic at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
DESCRIPTION:Ernie Lewis Solo Acoustic at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard brings the longtime Wicked Peach vocalist and guitarist to North Stonington for an early-evening performance on Friday\, September 11. Lewis will trade the full-band sound familiar to generations of southeastern Connecticut music fans for an acoustic set from 5 to 7 p.m. at one of the region’s newer vineyards. \nThe performance is part of Kingdom of the Hawk’s regular live music programming\, which pairs local and regional musicians with wine\, countryside views and the contemporary tasting room overlooking the vineyard. \nFor anyone who has seen Lewis front Wicked Peach at festivals\, casinos\, clubs and waterfront venues around the region\, Friday offers a different version of a very familiar local performer. \nErnie Lewis: From Wicked Peach to Solo Acoustic\nErnie Lewis is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Wicked Peach\, a southeastern Connecticut rock band that has been performing throughout Connecticut\, Rhode Island\, and southern New England since 1996. \nOver nearly three decades\, Wicked Peach has become a fixture of the regional live music scene. The band’s repertoire crosses between rock and pop\, with performances built around recognizable songs spanning several decades rather than a narrowly defined genre. \nLewis has been central to that sound as both guitarist and lead vocalist. \nHis solo acoustic performances pull the music into a much smaller setting. Without the volume and instrumentation of a full rock band behind him\, the focus shifts toward Lewis’s voice\, guitar and the songs themselves. \nIt’s not unfamiliar territory for him. \nLewis has maintained an active schedule of solo acoustic appearances around Connecticut in addition to his work with Wicked Peach. He has also performed with Wicked Peach guitarist Dan Watson as 2 Cat Zoo\, an acoustic duo whose repertoire draws from decades of rock and popular music and emphasizes acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies. \nThat acoustic side of Lewis’s career has taken him to restaurants\, taverns\, waterfront venues and vineyards around the region. His September 11 appearance at Kingdom of the Hawk continues that tradition\, this time surrounded by vines and the wooded landscape of North Stonington. \nLive Music at Kingdom of the Hawk\nLive music has become a regular part of weekends at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard. \nThe vineyard generally schedules performers on Fridays and Saturdays\, with occasional Sunday music as well. Rather than operating as a separate concert venue\, performances take place as part of the winery experience\, allowing visitors to settle in with a glass or bottle while listening to music. \nLewis performs from 5 to 7 p.m.\, putting the show at the beginning of a September evening rather than late at night. \nIt’s a setting that suits his solo format. This isn’t Wicked Peach at full volume. The acoustic performance is designed for the more relaxed environment of a vineyard\, where conversation\, wine and the surrounding property remain part of the evening. \nSouth County Barbeque Brings the Smoke\nWine and acoustic music won’t be the only things on the menu Friday evening. South County Barbeque will be at Kingdom of the Hawk serving its Southern-style\, wood-fired barbecue during the event. \nThe Rhode Island mobile barbecue and catering company was founded in 2022 by Arthur Evans\, a veteran who spent more than 20 years with the Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Wing. Evans traces his interest in cooking over fire back even further\, to his years working toward becoming an Eagle Scout. What began as a serious barbecue hobby eventually became a business serving farmers markets\, breweries\, festivals and private events around Rhode Island. \nSouth County Barbeque takes a competition-style approach to barbecue\, cooking its meats low and slow over wood-fired coals. Its regular lineup includes hand-cut beef brisket\, pulled pork shoulder\, St. Louis-style spare ribs\, pulled chicken\, smoked chicken wings and pork belly burnt ends. Homemade barbecue sauce and dry rubs are part of the operation as well. \nThe sides stick close to barbecue tradition\, with offerings that can include mac and cheese\, baked beans\, potato salad\, coleslaw and honey cornbread\, while banana pudding and homemade apple crisp appear among its desserts. \nThe food truck has also developed a following beyond its South County home base. South County Barbeque says it was named Rhode Island’s Best Mobile Food Vendor statewide in both 2023 and 2024\, and it regularly travels to breweries and events across the state. \nThe exact food-truck menu available at Kingdom of the Hawk may be smaller than South County Barbecue’s complete menu and can vary by event\, but expect smoked meats and classic barbecue sides to provide a considerably heartier option than the usual vineyard snack. \nAbout Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard\nKingdom of the Hawk is a relatively recent addition to southeastern Connecticut’s wine country\, but the people behind it have considerably deeper roots in the region’s wine industry. \nMichael and Merrily Connery purchased the North Stonington property in 2018 and began planting vines that year. The couple had already established Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington\, transforming a former World War II-era airplane hangar into one of the shoreline’s distinctive winery destinations. \nKingdom of the Hawk became their second act. \nThe vineyard opened to the public in 2023 on a sprawling property along Pendleton Hill Road. Instead of recreating Saltwater Farm\, the Connerys developed a winery with its own personality and architecture. \nThe centerpiece is a contemporary interpretation of an agricultural barn. The building combines the broad proportions and vaulted interior associated with a traditional barn with steel\, stone\, concrete and large expanses of glass. \nThose windows aren’t incidental. The winery sits above portions of the surrounding property\, opening views toward the vineyard\, fields and woods beyond it. \nEven the name comes from the landscape. \nHawks are regularly seen flying above the property\, inspiring Michael Connery to incorporate the bird into the vineyard’s identity. He wanted the name to suggest a place rather than simply another winery\, resulting in the somewhat grander Kingdom of the Hawk. \nThe Wines at Kingdom of the Hawk\nThe vineyard produces a range of red\, white and rosé wines\, including varieties particularly familiar to wine drinkers in southern New England. \nOfferings have included Sauvignon Blanc\, Pinot Gris\, Chardonnay\, Pinot Noir Rosé\, Cabernet Rosé and Cabernet Franc\, along with the vineyard’s Raptor Red. \nThe Connerys work with French-born consulting winemaker Gilles Martin\, who also has a long association with Saltwater Farm Vineyard. Martin’s winemaking career has included work in France\, California and on Long Island’s North Fork before his involvement with Connecticut wineries. \nKingdom of the Hawk operates a little differently from the traditional winery model visitors may expect. \nThe vineyard doesn’t offer conventional wine tastings or flights. Instead\, guests choose wine by the glass or purchase a bottle. Connecticut craft beer and cider are also available\, giving non-wine drinkers additional options during an afternoon or evening at the property. \nA Friday Evening in North Stonington\nThe September 11 performance brings together two familiar pieces of southeastern Connecticut’s weekend culture in one place: a musician whose career has been built largely in the region and a vineyard created by people who have spent years developing Connecticut wine destinations. \nFor longtime Wicked Peach listeners\, the biggest difference may be what’s missing. \nThere’s no full band behind Lewis. No wall of guitars or drums driving the room. Instead\, the songs come down to one musician\, his voice and an acoustic guitar as Friday evening settles over the vineyard. \nDetails\nEvent: Ernie Lewis Solo Acoustic at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard\nDate: Friday\, September 11\, 2026\nTime: 5–7 p.m.\nPerformer: Ernie Lewis (Wicked Peach)\nMusic: Solo acoustic rock and popular music\nFood: South County BBQ\nVenue: Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard\nAddress: 113 Pendleton Hill Road\, North Stonington\, CT\nBeverages: Kingdom of the Hawk wines are available by the glass or bottle; Connecticut craft beer and cider are also offered\nWine Tastings: Kingdom of the Hawk does not offer traditional tastings or flights \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/ernie-lewis-solo-acoustic-at-kingdom-of-the-hawk-vineyard/
LOCATION:Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard\, 113 Pendelton Hill Road\, North Stonington\, 06359\, United States
CATEGORIES:Kingdom of the Hawk Winery
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Ernie-Lewis-Solo-Acoustic-at-Kingdom-of-the-Hawk-Vineyard.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR