Family & Friends
Saturday, August 1 - Saturday, August 8, 2026
Description
Workshops
Conference Leadership
Pricing
Description
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Family and Friends has provided a safe and nurturing community for people of all ages, from all walks of life, since 1979 at Ferry Beach! We come together in community to grow, explore, learn, and build strong and lasting relationships! Family and Friends is the perfect vacation whether you come as a couple, an individual, a young adult, with your extended family, grandparents, or any combination of these. There will be something for everyone, with morning workshops and activities for adults, young adults and children. Multigenerational activities are plentiful in the afternoons and evenings.
No one has to cook or clean up on this vacation! Come off the beach in the late afternoon, join friends for social hour, then join everyone in the DeWolfe Dining Hall, where we have a variety of choices for all kinds of palates. So this summer, bring your spirit to the sea, stand upon the shore, and know you are home! Join us at Family & Friends, and discover or rediscover the magic that happens in the Ferry Beach community! Morning Adult Workshops Each morning there are a variety of workshops for adults to participate In while youth and children are in their own programs. The adult workshop selection is located in the "Workshops" tab above. Family and Friends Youth Groups During the week while the parents are in their morning workshops the children get to have their own workshop with their peers. The groups are broken down by age; examples of past years' groupings include 3-5 year olds (need to be potty trained), 6-7 year olds, 8-9 year olds, 10-12 year olds and Jr/Sr teens. The group age cutoffs can shift based on enrollment. The groups are led by at least 2 adults attending Family and Friends who have completed a background check. During the week you can expect to build a Covenant for the week, play games, create art and music, and learn about local ecology. The Jr/Sr teens may do a day trip. |
Ferry Beach is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year (2026). Join us for an incredible year of celebration!
Young Adults Work Play Program:
The young adults work/play program is intended for those aged 18-25 to learn the values of work while enjoying fun during their stay. **Program participants will work 3 hours a day in the dining hall/kitchen. In compensation program participants lodging and conference fee is waived. Participants just pay for meals during their stay. Want to be part of this program? Please fill out the form here and afterwards register for your conference and put in the note section "young adults program participant". Previous Family & Friends Weeks!
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Family and Friends Intergen Activities
Each evening and some afternoons there are scheduled intergenerational activities the whole family can take part in.
This year is especially a fond one for us, as Ferry Beach celebrates its 125th anniversary! Our theme ‘Family and Friends Through the Years’ will be celebrated this week with memories that all can share through stories, photos, arts & crafts, music and more!
Examples of some of our favorite activities during the week are listed below.
Each evening and some afternoons there are scheduled intergenerational activities the whole family can take part in.
This year is especially a fond one for us, as Ferry Beach celebrates its 125th anniversary! Our theme ‘Family and Friends Through the Years’ will be celebrated this week with memories that all can share through stories, photos, arts & crafts, music and more!
Examples of some of our favorite activities during the week are listed below.
- Trivia
- Sing down
- Ice cream social
- Masked ball
- Sandcastle contest
- UUlympics
- Talent No Talent Night
- Parade, closing circle & s'mores
Workshops
2026 Workshops:
Improv with Chuck McKay
Coming soon...
Coming soon...
Outdoor Adventures with Nate Mathews
Come explore the areas around Ferry Beach! This morning drop-in workshop will explore outdoor activities in and around the Ferry Beach campus and Saco Bay area. At least two activities will involve cycling so bring your bike! Some possible examples include a cycling/hiking trip to Peak’s Island, a jetty walk, and mini-golf. The full and final list of activities will be presented at the orientation. Some activities may have extra costs. Also, many of the activities will require driving to a starting point – carpooling will be encouraged!
Come explore the areas around Ferry Beach! This morning drop-in workshop will explore outdoor activities in and around the Ferry Beach campus and Saco Bay area. At least two activities will involve cycling so bring your bike! Some possible examples include a cycling/hiking trip to Peak’s Island, a jetty walk, and mini-golf. The full and final list of activities will be presented at the orientation. Some activities may have extra costs. Also, many of the activities will require driving to a starting point – carpooling will be encouraged!
Drawing with David Lewis
This drawing workshop will invite you to bring your curiosity! Every day, David will set up a pose or image for the group to work on and the group can share ideas about how to develop as an artist. It will be less a “teaching” class than an opportunity to try out (or develop) drawing skills within a context of creativity and conversation. Participants are also welcome to bring images they would like to draw, perhaps photos of their pets or landscapes.
David Lewis is a graduate of Pratt Institute Art School with a major in Illustration. His career spanned 50 years as a freelance illustrator focusing on advertising, television and packaging art. He worked for many of the major agencies and designers in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. His late wife Carolyn Burr and he always loved Ferry each and came together for many years before her death in 2020.
This drawing workshop will invite you to bring your curiosity! Every day, David will set up a pose or image for the group to work on and the group can share ideas about how to develop as an artist. It will be less a “teaching” class than an opportunity to try out (or develop) drawing skills within a context of creativity and conversation. Participants are also welcome to bring images they would like to draw, perhaps photos of their pets or landscapes.
David Lewis is a graduate of Pratt Institute Art School with a major in Illustration. His career spanned 50 years as a freelance illustrator focusing on advertising, television and packaging art. He worked for many of the major agencies and designers in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. His late wife Carolyn Burr and he always loved Ferry each and came together for many years before her death in 2020.
Working Around the Beach
If you would like to give back to The Beach and enjoy doing odd jobs, gardening, repairs, painting, cleaning, this is a workshop for you.
If you would like to give back to The Beach and enjoy doing odd jobs, gardening, repairs, painting, cleaning, this is a workshop for you.
Writing
In this memoir and personal narrative workshop we will free write to prompts, give each other feedback, and enjoy expressing our creativity in a supportive group. It’s fine to come with no idea about what you’re going to write – we all have a multitude of stories, and the prompts, and the group’s suggestions will help you discover yours. No writing experience necessary. The only risk is having too much fun.
In this memoir and personal narrative workshop we will free write to prompts, give each other feedback, and enjoy expressing our creativity in a supportive group. It’s fine to come with no idea about what you’re going to write – we all have a multitude of stories, and the prompts, and the group’s suggestions will help you discover yours. No writing experience necessary. The only risk is having too much fun.
Yoga with Maggie Stonecash
Come spend the week mindfully moving, breathing, feeling, learning, and being present in new ways in your body. We will dive into establishing safety and trust in your body and developing an intelligent movement practice that supports functional strength, builds mobility, and allows you to experience more joy, ease, and connection with yourself. In addition to typical yoga practices, you will gain a foundational understanding of breathing, alignment, and core engagement strategies that support core and pelvic floor health. You will explore movement tools for your shoulders, upper back, hips, and feet. We will also explore a variety of practices to reset the nervous system. Come home to your body with confidence, love, and compassion.
All levels are welcome. No experience necessary.
Maggie Stonecash (MEd, RYT, RYC teacher) is a yoga & mindfulness instructor, educator and professional development coach in schools, and Restore Your Core ® teacher who specializes in core and pelvic floor rehab, back pain, hip pain, and shoulder mobility. Maggie’s classes weave together intelligent functional strength, mobility, and somatic releasing movements for an empowering and relaxing experience. She has been a teacher since 2012 and loves helping people soothe their nervous systems, and live with less pain and more kindness. Maggie lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with her husband and two young children.
Come spend the week mindfully moving, breathing, feeling, learning, and being present in new ways in your body. We will dive into establishing safety and trust in your body and developing an intelligent movement practice that supports functional strength, builds mobility, and allows you to experience more joy, ease, and connection with yourself. In addition to typical yoga practices, you will gain a foundational understanding of breathing, alignment, and core engagement strategies that support core and pelvic floor health. You will explore movement tools for your shoulders, upper back, hips, and feet. We will also explore a variety of practices to reset the nervous system. Come home to your body with confidence, love, and compassion.
All levels are welcome. No experience necessary.
Maggie Stonecash (MEd, RYT, RYC teacher) is a yoga & mindfulness instructor, educator and professional development coach in schools, and Restore Your Core ® teacher who specializes in core and pelvic floor rehab, back pain, hip pain, and shoulder mobility. Maggie’s classes weave together intelligent functional strength, mobility, and somatic releasing movements for an empowering and relaxing experience. She has been a teacher since 2012 and loves helping people soothe their nervous systems, and live with less pain and more kindness. Maggie lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with her husband and two young children.
Conference Leadership
2026 Leaders to be Announced Soon!
Last Year's Conference Leaders:
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Adult Coordinator:
Caitlin Peale Sloan Caitlin is the Adult Coordinator for Family and Friends this year, organizing the workshops and helping all the other coordinators with their work. Caitlin is a Ferry Beacher since early childhood and she and her family have been attending Family & Friends since 1994. Caitlin is a former member of the Ferry Beach Board of Directors and a former Family & Friends Childrens' Coordinator. She lives with her husband, child, and two cats near Boston, MA and works as an energy and climate lawyer for Conservation Law Foundation. |
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Intergenerational Coordinator:
Jennifer Plumb Vilardaga Jen is one of the Intergenerational Coordinators for Family and Friends this year. She has been coming to Ferry Beach since before she could walk and talk, and Family and Friends has been a joyful place to return to with her own children. This is her second year helping to coordinate intergen activities, and she is thrilled to do so when we are celebrating Family and Friends Through the Years! She lives with her husband, twin boys and twin cats in North Carolina where she works as a psychologist and business owner. She sings and does yoga with equal joy both when at and when not at Ferry Beach. |
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Children's Workshop Coordinator:
Summer Sunderland Summer is the Children’s Programming Coordinator for Family and Friends this year. She brings a deep love of play, creativity, and connection, along with years of experience supporting people in finding their voice and being fully themselves. She is drawn to the wonder and wisdom of children and loves creating spaces where imagination, expression, and connection can flourish. She brings a playful spirit, a deep respect for each child’s uniqueness, and a belief that joy and authenticity go hand in hand. |
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Minister of the Week:
Reverend Rosemary Dodd Rev. Rosemary is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who was ordained into UU ministry in March 2025. Originally from Sonoma County, California, Rosemary has spent the majority of her young adult years in the Boston area. After college, she worked in arts museum fundraising and then made a quick return to school. She holds a Master of Divinity Degree from Harvard Divinity School and a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Wellesley College. She served the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento as Intern Minister from August 2023-June 2024, and now is the Contract Minister with First Parish Bridgewater. She is passionate about youth empowerment, ritual design, UU theology, crocheting, color theory, and community dinner. Her dog, Stella, is a rescue standard poodle who is a source of joy and delight. |
Musician of the Week:
TBA SOON.
TBA SOON.
Pricing
Conference Package (Pricing per Person) |
Conference Package for Lodgers: (Includes conference fee/access to all programming, plus all daily meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner for the entirety of Family & Friends). Adult: $658 Youth: $525 Conference Package for Commuters: (Includes conference fee/access to all programming, plus all daily meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner for the entirety of Family & Friends). Adult Commuter: $658 Youth Commuter: $525 Meals are included, there is no way to separate meals from the package price. Note: Lodging is not included in the conference package price, it's added on, the price varies depending on your desired lodging accommodation, see below. |
Lodging |
View our Lodging Page HERE for more information/photos of lodging options. Cottages/Cabins Morris Cottage: $550 per night Kelley Cottage: $515 per night Claflin Cottage: $515 per night Metz Cabins: $250 per night Cross Rooms: $205 per night Dorms: Quillen Family: $170 per night Ocean Queen: $165 per night Ocean Twin: $155 per night Queen Dorms: $145 per night Standard Dorms: $130 per night Camping: $45-55 depending on site *NEW* - LINENS are now INCLUDED in your stay, for ALL lodging spaces in 2026! |
Membership |
Membership must be paid to attend any Ferry Beach program and is due annually. Individual Membership: $40 Family Membership: $65 See our Membership Page to learn more and to purchase or renew a membership. You can also renew your membership on your reservation. |
Register |
To register online click here, by phone, call the office at 207-282-4489 You can also email [email protected]. |
Our LocationFerry Beach is a beachfront retreat center in Southern Maine (Saco, ME). Experience a respite away from the everyday world, with 32 acres including many porches, a wonderful dining center, volleyball court, playgrounds, art studio, outdoor chapel and of course the beach!
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Lodging |
What to Expect
Wondering what to pack, what a retreat at Ferry Beach is like and more general information about your stay click read more below. |
Our mission at Ferry Beach is to awaken hearts to explore, grow and renew the spirit of universal love.
We work by creating programing and events in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Spirituality, Sustainability, Personal Growth and Justice & Action.
We work by creating programing and events in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Spirituality, Sustainability, Personal Growth and Justice & Action.
