Soltane Café has become a familiar part of downtown Phoenixville, serving expertly crafted coffee and delicious house-made pastries from its Bridge Street shop while employing people with and without intellectual disabilities side by side.

But the café is only one piece of a much larger story.

About 20 minutes outside Phoenixville, tucked into the woods of Glenmoore, is the 43-acre campus of Camphill Soltane, the nonprofit organization behind the café that has served adults with intellectual differences for almost 40 years. And this October, Soltane is inviting the community to experience the campus for themselves during Autumn Under the Glass, a relaxed fall festival evening of food,drinks, and seasonal fun centered around its sprawling state-of-the-art greenhouse.

Autumn Under the Glass

Autumn Under the Glass

That mission will serve as the backdrop for Autumn Under the Glass., And while the evening supports an important cause, it is also designed to be a beautiful family-friendly fall night.

Guests can wander the campus, take a hayride through the property, grab dinner and drinks, coffee and dessert, shop the artisan market or settle in and enjoy the string lights and fire pitas the sun goes down.

There will also be opportunities to make your own pumpkin succulent centerpiece, along with a silent auction, raffle and other activities throughout the evening.

One of the evening’s more spectacular features will be an Air Ventures Balloon Glow, with a hot air balloon illuminating the property after dark. Rather than launching into the sky, the balloon becomes part of the scenery, glowing against the fall evening and creating an unforgettable kick-off to fall!

Camphill Soltane Background

Camphill Soltane Background

Camphill Soltane creates opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to find meaningful employment, develop creative skills, build friendships and participate in a community where their contributions are valued.

That work becomes particularly important as people enter adulthood.

For families of children with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the transition out of the school system around age 22 can be dramatic. The structure, programming and resources that have surrounded someone throughout childhood can suddenly become much more limited.

Soltane focuses heavily on what comes next: creating opportunities for adults to continue learning, working, creating and building meaningful social lives.

The goal is not simply to fill someone’s day. It is to help create a rich adult life built around purpose, belonging and a community that rallies around a person long after high school ends

For Phoenixville residents, the café is perhaps the most visible expression of Soltane’s larger mission.

And there is so much more to discover at their Glenmoore campus where you will find art studios, gardens, orchards, animals and an accessible greenhouse, alongside programs that provide opportunities ranging from ceramics and textiles to horticulture and café work.

A Reason to Visit the Campus

A Reason to Visit the Campus

We hope to see you there for a fun-filled fall evening!

Autumn Under the Glass will be held at Camphill Soltane, 224 Nantmeal Road in Glenmoore on Friday, October 9th, at 5:00 PM. Tickets are $50 per person, with proceeds benefiting adults with intellectual and developmental differences through the mission of Camphill Soltane. Learn More and get tickets here.

Photos courtesy of Camphill Soltane.