Raise the paddle, spotlight on the ask.
A restored waterfront factory with room for a real stage and a packed house, plus a team that has run galas from the first pour to the final bid. Minutes from Fairfield, under thirty from Westport.
The venue that makes the ask feel like an occasion.
Donors have sat through enough chandeliers and step-and-repeats. The Knowlton gives your gala committee a 27-foot peak, a stage built for the program, and the sunset going gold over the river behind every seat. Your appeal lands differently in a room no one has seen before.
One waterfront, cocktails to the closing bid.
Cocktail hour, the program and dinner without moving the room. Every act of the evening has its own setting here.
The Cocktail Hour
Drinks and the silent auction fill the Wilder Gallery while the room turns for dinner. Bids climb before anyone sits down.
The Program
The paddle goes up under a room built to hold it: a stage, a mic that reaches every table, and a crowd already standing.
The Dinner
Round tables, white linens and amber uplighting for the meal that closes the night, for 50 to 500.
A few galas on the water.
What committees ask before they book.
How many guests can The Knowlton host for a gala or fundraiser?
The Knowlton hosts galas and fundraisers from 50 to 500 guests across the Boathouse and two galleries. Committees can run a cocktail hour, program and dinner across multiple spaces, or keep the whole night in one room.
Is there a stage and sound system for the program and paddle raise?
Yes. The Boathouse has a stage built for the program, with a microphone system that reaches every table, so the appeal and the paddle raise land clearly across a full room.
Can we run a cocktail hour and silent auction separately from dinner?
Yes. Galas commonly run cocktails and the silent auction in the Wilder Gallery while the Boathouse turns over for a seated dinner, so bidding can build before guests sit down.
Is outside catering allowed for a fundraiser?
Yes. Outside caterers are welcome, including kosher and specialty caterers, so a committee can keep an existing catering relationship in place.
Do you provide the bar for a gala?
Yes. The Knowlton holds the liquor license and supplies all the alcohol, which also means outside alcohol cannot be brought in. The bar is staffed at roughly one bartender per fifty guests, either by the venue team or by an approved caterer serving the venue’s alcohol. Last call is fifteen minutes before the bar closes, and for guest safety shots are not served.
Is there parking for a large fundraiser crowd?
Yes. The Knowlton offers 200 secured on-site parking spaces, minutes from Westport and Fairfield. Parking attendants are required once about 50 or more vehicles are expected, and events of 100 or more guests also require licensed security at one guard per 50 guests, booked in addition to the rental.
Can the room be lit and staged to match our organization's program?
Yes. Lighting and staging can be customized so the room reflects your organization's colors and program, from the cocktail hour through the closing bid.
How much does it cost to rent a venue for a gala or fundraiser?
Gala pricing is customized to the date, the spaces used, guest count and the scope of the program, so every committee receives a tailored proposal rather than a fixed rate. Share your date and projected attendance and the team will build one around your budget.
How far in advance should a gala committee book?
Popular dates, particularly Saturdays and fall weekends, tend to book well in advance, so it helps to confirm a date as soon as it is set. That said, dates open up as other events move, so it's worth asking even on a short timeline, and weekday and Sunday events typically have the most availability.
Come see the room before the invitations go out.
Tell us your date and your guest count. We will walk you through the Boathouse, the stage and the galleries, so your committee can see exactly how the night will feel.
Opening the conversation...
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