BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Meetinghouse - ECPv6.16.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Meetinghouse X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://meetinghouse.life X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Meetinghouse 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:20260528T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T180000 DTSTAMP:20260526T083024 CREATED:20260401T230044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260401T230824Z UID:10012817-1779987600-1779991200@meetinghouse.life SUMMARY:NextStep Business DESCRIPTION:NextStep Business: Small Business Education Program for Middle Schoolers\nThursday evening\, 5:00 – 6:00 pm\nMay 28\, 2026\nUpstairs in Shields Hall \nCost: Tickets are free and may be reserved below. \n  \nNextStep is a small business education program created and taught by two local high school students. The program aims to introduce younger students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship\, financial literacy\, and leadership in an approachable\, engaging\, and interactive way. \nNextStep was created after noticing that many students\, like ourselves\, are interested in business at a young age but don’t have the opportunity to learn these skills. Throughout the four-week program\, students build their own business ideas step-by-step\, learning how to develop a product\, set pricing\, understand profit\, and create marketing strategies. Each lesson builds on the previous one\, creating a cohesive experience where students see their ideas truly come to life. \nThe program focuses on collaboration\, creativity\, and confidence-building\, allowing students to work together while also developing and presenting their own ideas. By the end of the program\, students will have built a complete business concept they can take pride in. \nThe final session features a “Shark Tank”-style pitch\, where students present their ideas and make investment decisions\, bringing together everything they’ve learned in a fun and engaging way. \nBios: \nHunter Sucato and Danny Tiktin are students at Ridgefield High School with a shared interest in business\, entrepreneurship\, and leadership. Both are involved in business-related activities at school\, including DECA and business classes\, where they gain experience in areas such as operations\, marketing\, and strategy. They co-created NextStep to give younger students the opportunity to learn real-world business skills before entering high school. They hope to continue pursuing business and entrepreneurship in the future through higher education and their careers. \nDanny is involved in many business classes\, exploring leadership\, entrepreneurship\, and international business. Hunter plays an active role as a School Store Manager and will compete internationally representing the RHS School Store. \n  URL:https://meetinghouse.life/event/nextstep-business-4/ LOCATION:The Meetinghouse\, 602 Ridgebury Rd.\, Ridgefield\, CT\, 06877\, United States CATEGORIES:Community ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://meetinghouse.life/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image.png ORGANIZER;CN="meetinghouse.life":MAILTO:connect@meetinghouse.life END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260529T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260529T113000 DTSTAMP:20260526T083024 CREATED:20260413T213748Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260413T214022Z UID:10012819-1780048800-1780054200@meetinghouse.life SUMMARY:Women Entrepreneurs: Build\, Lead & Connect! DESCRIPTION:Women Entrepreneurs: Build\, Lead & Connect!\nFridays\, May 29 through June 26\, 2026\n(no class 6/19 in observance of Juneteenth)\n10:00 am -11:30 am\nParticipants are invited to gather in The Market from 9:30-10 to connect each Friday before class begins. \n  \nJoin Kate Loewengart\, former Creative Director\, freelance consultant\, non-profit leader and The Meetinghouse Wellness Resident (certified mindfulness/yoga teacher) along with special guests for an exploration of what it means to be a woman entrepreneur. \nYou’ll discover what makes your leadership style one of your greatest assets\, learn to tap into your intuition and personal voice\, and create a practice you can use to stay balanced in the midst of the chaos that is the rest of your life. We will also build time in for sharing experiences and learning from one another. Connect with a local community of women who are building and shaping just like you! Together\, we can thrive and grow. If participants choose\, we can plan follow up sessions in the months ahead. \nClass meets for 4 sessions starting 5/29\, 6/5\, 6/12\, (no class 6/19 in observance of Juneteenth)\, 6/26 \nParticipants are invited to gather in The Market from 9:30-10 to connect each Friday before class begins. \nCost: $200 for all 4 sessions. \nRegister Here URL:https://meetinghouse.life/event/women-entrepreneurs-build-lead-connect/ LOCATION:The Meetinghouse\, 602 Ridgebury Rd.\, Ridgefield\, CT\, 06877\, United States CATEGORIES:Community ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://meetinghouse.life/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Women-Entrepreneurs-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="meetinghouse.life":MAILTO:connect@meetinghouse.life END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T120000 DTSTAMP:20260526T083024 CREATED:20260113T161540Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T190945Z UID:10012649-1780138800-1780142400@meetinghouse.life SUMMARY:2026 Book Club: "The Librarian of Auschwitz" by Antonio Iturbe DESCRIPTION:2026 Meetinghouse Book Club\nSmall and Revolutionary: Stories about Community and Transformative Change\nRead along with us!\n  \nSaturday\, May 30\, 2026 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm\nMay’s book: The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe\n  \nJoin us in The Market for our FREE monthly book club! Tickets available below. Please get a ticket to register for the event. \n  \nAbout this book: \nBased on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus\, the award-winning The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust. This edition includes a Q&A with Dita Kraus and discussion questions. \nAs a young girl\, Dita is imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken from her home in Prague in 1939\, Dita does her best to adjust to the constant terror of her new reality. But even amidst horror\, human strength and ingenuity persevere. When Jewish leader Fredy Hirsch entrusts Dita with eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak into the camp\, She embraces the responsibility―and so becomes the librarian of Auschwitz. \nFrom one of the darkest chapters in history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope. URL:https://meetinghouse.life/event/2026-book-club-5/ LOCATION:The Meetinghouse\, 602 Ridgebury Rd.\, Ridgefield\, CT\, 06877\, United States CATEGORIES:Community,Wisdom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://meetinghouse.life/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Book-Club-May.png ORGANIZER;CN="meetinghouse.life":MAILTO:connect@meetinghouse.life END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260531 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260706 DTSTAMP:20260526T083024 CREATED:20260318T155505Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T164440Z UID:10012807-1780185600-1783295999@meetinghouse.life SUMMARY:Rika Markel: Built Over Time | Art Exhibition DESCRIPTION:On display in The Meetinghouse Gallery \nBuilt Over Time\nAbstract Oil Paintings by Rika Markel\nMay 31 – July 5\, 2026\n  \nOpening Reception:\nSunday\, May 31\, 2026 from 2-4 pm in the downstairs gallery.\nThe Gallery is open Tuesdays – Sundays 8:00 am – 4:00 pm for viewing. (Closed Mondays). \n  \n“Built Over Time” refers both to the way the paintings are made and what they reflect.\nEach piece is developed in layers of oil paint\, using different tools to gradually build texture\, depth\, and movement. \nThis process mirrors how experience and emotion take shape—not all at once\, but over time. What is visible on the surface is only part of what has been built underneath. \n  \nARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY\nRika Markel is an abstract artist working primarily with oil paint\, creating layered compositions using a variety of tools and techniques. Her work explores emotion\, consciousness\, and the unseen inner world that shapes human experience. \nAlthough creativity had always been part of her life\, Rika only began painting during the pandemic\, finally fulfilling a lifelong dream to express herself through art. Her intuitive process builds depth through layers of color\, texture\, and movement\, allowing each painting to evolve organically. \nHer work invites viewers to pause\, feel\, and discover their own meaning within the canvas. \n  \nARTIST’S STATEMENT\nMy work is an exploration of the inner world—emotion\, energy\, and the invisible forces that shape our experience of life. I paint intuitively\, allowing color\, texture\, and movement to guide the process rather than beginning with a fixed plan. \nWorking primarily with oil paint\, I build my pieces in layers using a variety of tools. Each layer represents a moment\, a feeling\, or a shift in energy\, gradually revealing a composition that feels alive and expressive. \nPainting became part of my life during the pandemic\, when I finally gave myself permission to follow a lifelong creative calling. Since then\, the canvas has become a space for reflection and discovery. \nRather than telling a single story\, my work invites viewers to experience their own emotions and interpretations within the layers of color and movement. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n  \n  URL:https://meetinghouse.life/event/rika-markel-art-show/ LOCATION:The Meetinghouse\, 602 Ridgebury Rd.\, Ridgefield\, CT\, 06877\, United States CATEGORIES:Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://meetinghouse.life/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Purple-thoughts.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="meetinghouse.life":MAILTO:connect@meetinghouse.life END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260531T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260531T110000 DTSTAMP:20260526T083024 CREATED:20251023T155104Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T214246Z UID:10012375-1780221600-1780225200@meetinghouse.life SUMMARY:Worship at the historic Meetinghouse DESCRIPTION:Join us for worship in the historic Meetinghouse!\nSundays at 10:00 am\nRidgebury Congregational Church (RCC) is a place to come together and gather as a spiritual community. You might know us as the historic white church on the corner\, but we’ve always been so much more. We are a place to reconnect with soul\, that you might be restored and renewed. \n  URL:https://meetinghouse.life/event/worship-at-the-historic-meetinghouse/2026-05-31/ LOCATION:The Historic Meetinghouse\, 605 Ridgebury Rd.\, Ridgefield\, CT\, 06877\, United States CATEGORIES:Community ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://meetinghouse.life/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/FA714138-9160-41A3-8EAC-89D5CBB2A253_1_105_c_1440.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="meetinghouse.life":MAILTO:connect@meetinghouse.life END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260531T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260531T160000 DTSTAMP:20260526T083024 CREATED:20260318T155346Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T164418Z UID:10012806-1780236000-1780243200@meetinghouse.life SUMMARY:Rika Markel: Built Over Time | Opening Reception DESCRIPTION:On display in The Meetinghouse Gallery \nBuilt Over Time\nAbstract Oil Paintings by Rika Markel\nMay 31 – July 5\, 2026\n  \nOpening Reception:\nSunday\, May 31\, 2026 from 2-4 pm in the downstairs gallery.\nThe Gallery is open Tuesdays – Sundays 8:00 am – 4:00 pm for viewing. (Closed Mondays). \n  \n“Built Over Time” refers both to the way the paintings are made and what they reflect.\nEach piece is developed in layers of oil paint\, using different tools to gradually build texture\, depth\, and movement. \nThis process mirrors how experience and emotion take shape—not all at once\, but over time. What is visible on the surface is only part of what has been built underneath. \n  \nARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY\nRika Markel is an abstract artist working primarily with oil paint\, creating layered compositions using a variety of tools and techniques. Her work explores emotion\, consciousness\, and the unseen inner world that shapes human experience. \nAlthough creativity had always been part of her life\, Rika only began painting during the pandemic\, finally fulfilling a lifelong dream to express herself through art. Her intuitive process builds depth through layers of color\, texture\, and movement\, allowing each painting to evolve organically. \nHer work invites viewers to pause\, feel\, and discover their own meaning within the canvas. \n  \nARTIST’S STATEMENT\nMy work is an exploration of the inner world—emotion\, energy\, and the invisible forces that shape our experience of life. I paint intuitively\, allowing color\, texture\, and movement to guide the process rather than beginning with a fixed plan. \nWorking primarily with oil paint\, I build my pieces in layers using a variety of tools. Each layer represents a moment\, a feeling\, or a shift in energy\, gradually revealing a composition that feels alive and expressive. \nPainting became part of my life during the pandemic\, when I finally gave myself permission to follow a lifelong creative calling. Since then\, the canvas has become a space for reflection and discovery. \nRather than telling a single story\, my work invites viewers to experience their own emotions and interpretations within the layers of color and movement. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n  \n  URL:https://meetinghouse.life/event/rika-markel-opening-reception/ LOCATION:The Meetinghouse\, 602 Ridgebury Rd.\, Ridgefield\, CT\, 06877\, United States CATEGORIES:Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://meetinghouse.life/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Purple-thoughts.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="meetinghouse.life":MAILTO:connect@meetinghouse.life END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR