2023 FESTIVAL LINE-UP
OPENING NIGHT
Schmooze
Friday, July 28, 7:00-10:00 PM, Marbella, 151 Canal St.
Kick off the festival weekend at Marbella, a swanky tapas lounge and wine bar where you can catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Catskills crooner Scott Eckers will be performing, and "Doctor of Musicology" Jimmy Givens will be spinning the classics. Borscht Belt Museum trustees Robin Kauffman and Peter Chester are your hosts. Cash bar.
OPENING NIGHT
Roller Disco
Friday, July 28, 6:00-10:00 PM, SkateTime, 5164 Route 209, Accord
Celebrate the start of Borscht Belt Fest (and channel OIivia Newton John) with a spin around the region's premiere roller rink, Skate Time, where you can shimmy and roll to 70s disco classics brought to you by DJ No Rules.
$12 Entry Fee at the door and $7 skate rental
Beer and wine served. Adults 21 and older.
COMEDY
Comedy Cellar Showcase
Sat, Jul 29, 8:00 PM, Studio At Shadowland Stages
Don't miss our hilarious lineup presented by New York City's legendary Comedy Cellar, showcasing the comic talents of Rachel Feinstein ("Trainwreck," Comedy Central), Rich Aronovitch ("The Tonight Show"), Dan Naturman ("Last Comic Standing," "Jimmy Kimmel Live"), Yamaneika Saunders ("The Tonight Show," "Comedy Central Presents,") and Dov Davidoff (NBC's "Shades of Blue," “The Tonight Show").
Rich Aronovitch
Dov Davidoff
Rachel Feinstein
Dan Naturman
Yamaneika Saunders
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COMEDY
The Borscht Belt Classic
Sat, Jul 29, 1:00 PM, Studio At Shadowland Stages
We've also got the Borscht Belt Classic, a family-friendly homage to Catskills humor that includes Marty Nadler (a writer on “Happy Days”, “Laverne & Shirley”and “The Odd Couple”) and his son Charlie, Bob Greenberg ("Old Jews Telling Jokes"), and Lisa Geduldig (“Kung Pao Kosher Comedy”).
Lisa Geduldig
Bob Greenberg
Marty Nadler
Charlie Nadler
COMEDY
Lucie Pohl’s Immigrant Jam
Sat, Jul 29, 3:00 PM, Studio At Shadowland Stages
NYC’s funniest immigrant and 1st gen comics, who will make you laugh so hard you’ll wish you were born somewhere else. Guaranteed not to have stolen any of your jobs, Immigrant Jam celebrates the beauty of everything cross cultural, deliciously different and not from here. Hosted by German-born-NYC-raised comedian and actress Lucie Pohl, Immigrant Jam is regularly featured in Time Out NY, The NY Times and ICE’s secret group chats.
Zahid Dewji
Hila the Earth
Kaneez Surka
Carol Zoccoli
Daniel Simonsen
Lucie Pohl
COMEDY
New Faces in Standup
Sat, Jul 29, 5:30 PM, Studio At Shadowland Stages
Enjoy a set of new faces in standup comedy in a show curated by Ellenville native Alejandro Morales (HBO). Expect fresh and funny perspectives from Bailey Pope (Limestone Comedy Fest), Dan Vetrano (Punch Line Philly), Chanel Ali (Comedy Central) and Benny Feldman (Just for Laughs).
Chanel Ali
Benny Feldman
Alejandro Morales
Bailey Pope
Dan Vetrano
LATE NIGHT COMEDY
Weeding Out The Stoned: The Game Show of Sobriety Tests
Sat, Jul 29, 10:00 PM, Studio At Shadowland Stages
A pack of players enter the game. All of them are stoned - but ONE! Alex Grubard leads the investigation by seeking audience testimony, playing mind games and administering sobriety tests of the world's funniest stoners!
Alex Grubard
COMEDY WORKSHOP
So You Wanna Be Funny?!
Sat, Jul 29, 11:00 AM, Studio At Shadowland Stages
Join acclaimed comedian Lucie Pohl for a 90-minute joyride into the Borscht Belt belly of the comedy beast. Learn WHAT makes funny, HOW to craft funny and why BEING funny is a serious affair.
This workshop is limited to 20 participants.
Lucie Pohl
BORSCHT BELT TALKS
Meet the Family Behind Grossinger’s
Sat, Jul 29, 11:30am, 119 Canal Street
Join the matriarch of the Borscht Belt, Elaine Grossinger Etess for an intimate discussion about the most famous hotel in the mountains and the real-life inspiration for "Dirty Dancing." Plus, hear long-lost audio tapes recorded live 70 years ago at Grossinger's with icons of the 20th century including Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson and Milton Berle. A unique journey back in time with the woman who witnessed it all.
Elaine Grossinger Etess
BORSCHT BELT TALKS
If You’re Having a Good Time, Tell Your Face!: Writing and Performing Stand-up in the Catskills
Sat, Jul 29, 3:00 PM, Market Street Studios
Ask any comedian about their experiences working the Borscht Belt and you will hear stories about life and death, but mostly death. The only thing Jews love more than humor is suffering, which explains the philosophy of mountains gig life: Kill or be killed.
Emmy and Tony Award-winning comedy writer Alan Zweibel (original SNL, It's Garry Shandling's Show, 700 Sundays, the cultural memoir "Laugh Lines") and performer-turned-writer Bill Scheft (Late Night with David Letterman, Late Show with David Letterman, The New Yorker) will reminisce fondly about their starts (and fits) working in the Catskills, sharing war stories and combat pay and trying to punchline the eternal set-up, "Why do some bits work everywhere but here? Why do some bits work here and nowhere else?"
Bill Scheft
Alan Zweibel
From Pushcarts to Poolside: An Immigrant History of Food
BORSCHT BELT TALKS
Sat, Jul 29, 4:30 PM, Market Street Studios
A riveting and delicious culinary conversation tracing the immigrant history of food on the Lower East Side to the Borscht Belt and how it's shaped the way New York (and the U.S.) eats today.
Hosted by Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz, co-founders of Jewish food venture Gefilteria and co-authors of The Gefilte Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World Jewish Foods.
Liz Alpern
Jeffrey Yoskowitz
Taste the Tradition: A Hands-On Halva-Making Workshop
BORSCHT BELT TALKS
Sat, Jul 29, 5:00 - 6:00 PM, Morning Sunshine Cafe & Market, 3 - 5 Clinton Ave
No matter how you spell it, Halva/Halvah/Halwa is a delicious Middle Eastern treat with deep roots in Jewish food culture. Join cookbook author June Hersh for a hands-on halva-making class inspired by a recipe in her new book Iconic New York Jewish Food a History and Guide with Recipes. Whether you drench it in chocolate, roll it in pistachios, or cover it in rainbow sprinkles, you are sure to have a halavah good time!
This event is made possible through the generous support of Seed + Mill and Wandel.
June Hersh
BORSCHT BELT TALKS
Stop at the Red Apple: A Journey Back in Time
Sat, Jul 29, 12:00 PM, Market Street Studios
From the 1930s through the 1980s, the Red Apple Rest was a legendary restaurant on New York's Route 17. Located midway between New York City and the resorts of the Catskill Mountains, the restaurant served a who's who of entertainment luminaries. Elaine Freed Lindenblatt was born into restaurant royalty as the youngest child of the establishment's founder. Join Elaine, author of "Stop at the Red Apple," on a tour of history as she tells the decades-long story of the Red Apple and shares her account of growing up in 1950s small-town America, a glimpse into the workings of a successful food business, and a swan song to a glorious slice of bygone popular culture. A Q&A will follow Elaine's talk.
BORSCHT BELT TALKS
Stars of the Borscht Belt: The Entertainment Legacy of the Catskills
Sat, Jul 29, 1:30 PM, Market Street Studios
The Catskill Mountains -- and the numerous of resorts therein - were the summer destination for millions of mostly Jewish families from the New York area. For many decades, and particularly in the 1950s and early '60s, the Catskill resorts were an ineffable part of American culture. Virtually every major entertainer, comedian, singer, and many an actor too -- Jewish, Italian, Black -- perfected their trade in the Borscht Belt.
Join author Will Friedwald for an in-depth look at the culture of the Catskills as its height: the legendary resorts (Grossingers, Kutsher's, The Concord, The Nevele and many others), the great comedians (Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Rodney Dangerfield, Henny Youngman, Norm Crosby, Buddy Hackett) and the fabulous vocalists (The Barry Sisters, Eddie Fisher, Leo Fuchs, Marilyn Michaels) who all sang up a storm in the Jewish Alps. Through slides and vintage film and TV footage, Will will recapture the legendary era of entertainment.
The Barry Sisters
BORSCHT BELT TALKS
The Plumber Always Flushes Twice: Tales (and Jokes) from a Catskills Plumber
Sat, Jul 29, 10:30 AM, Market Street Studios
Author, humorist and lifelong Catskills resident Allen Frishman shares comedic, behind-the-scenes stories about his family's bungalow colonies and their plumbing enterprise -- a business that literally kept the Borscht Belt resort toilets flushing. Frishman captures the madcap adventures of his zany, sprawling family and the unforgettable characters he encounters along the way. If you don't like to laugh in the morning, you might as well stay in bed.
Frishman will sign copies of his two books, "Tales of a Catskills Mountain Plumber" and "More Borscht from a Catskills Mountain Plumber."
ART EXHIBIT
Drew Friedman: Old Jewish Comedians
Hunt Memorial Building, Liberty Square
Known as the "Vermeer of the Borscht Belt," Drew Friedman has been drawing stunning portraits of classic Jewish comedians for years. In addition to Catskills comics, Friedman’s paintings run a wide gamut, from famous and not-so-famous celebrities to U.S. presidents to the forgotten elevator men of New York City. The recipient of numerous awards, Friedman’s work has appeared in The New York Times, MAD Magazine, The Village Voice, and The New Yorker, among many other publications.
Limited-run exhibit by Eddy Portnoy, chief curator at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Culture.
ART EXHIBIT
Morris Katz: America's "King of Schlock Art"
119 Canal Street
Morris Katz (1932–2010) was a Polish-born, American Jewish artist who held court in Borscht Belt hotels during the golden age of the Catskills resort era. With his frenetic pace and novel use of a palette knife and toilet paper in place of a paintbrush, he earned two Guinness World Records as the world's fastest painter and most prolific artist. Morris Katz: America's “King of Schlock Art,” the first exhibition of Katz’s work since his death, seeks to establish the painter's place as an outsider artist and a quintessentially American cultural phenomenon.
This exhibition is curated by Lara Damabi and Debra Schmidt Bach, with additional support provided by Matt Ellin, Robert Hewis, Andrew Jacobs, and Rachel Salem-Wiseman.
ART EXHIBIT
Mahjong, Herring and Mirth: Elise Pittelman's Painterly Homage to a Vanished World
Hunt Memorial Building, Liberty Square
Woodstock artist Elise Pittelman lovingly reimagines the characters she encountered during the Borscht Belt's heyday as vibrant, colorful tableaus that resemble Japanese woodblock prints. Working off photographs and source material from the era, Pittelman elevates mundane moments of Catskills summer life and renders them with a cartoonish dynamism that is at once joyous and melancholy.
POP-UP MUSUEM EXHIBIT
Vacationland! Catskills Resort Culture 1900-1980
Open now! Thursday - Sunday, 12 pm - 5 pm, Closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 90 Canal St., Ellenville
The Borscht Belt Museum’s pop-up exhibition will provide visitors a preview of the permanent Borscht Belt Museum, which will open to the public in 2025 after a top-to-bottom renovation of our future home.
The pop-up, a collaborative effort with the Bard Graduate Center in New York City, will feature displays of the fashion, comedy, entertainment, and foodways of the Borscht Belt. For visitors with personal history in the region there will be an opportunity to record their own stories and have their own family photographs scanned.
The pop-up is curated by Joanna Lehan, former curator at the International Center of Photography along with Masters students from Bard.
Lead Curator, Joanna Lehan
Exhibition Designer, Daniel Fouad
Assistant Curator, Mackensie Griffin
Curatorial Interns, Robert Hewis, Rachel Salem-Wiseman
PRIVATE TOUR
Sunday Brunch & Field Trip: Meet the Archivist
Sun, Jul 30, 10:00 - 11:30 AM, Mountain Dale
Join Borscht Belt Museum archivist Allen Frishman for a private tour of his home, a veritable museum chockablock with ephemera saved from oblivion. An author, preservationist and former building inspector for the town of Fallsburg, Frishman rescued countless objects -- telephone switchboards, bungalow kitchens, swizzle sticks and hotel signs -- before the bulldozers arrived. Many of them make up the Borscht Belt Museum's core collection.
A classic bagels-and-lox breakfast will be served.
This event is limited to 16 participants.
THEATER
Always… Patsy Cline
Sat, Jul 29, 8:00 PM, Shadowland Stages
July 14 – August 6 on the MainStage at Shadowland Stages. This heartfelt review tells the true story of the country music legend’s unlikely friendship with a fan, Louise Seger, cemented by years of letter-writing. Accompanied by the beloved hits ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’, ‘I Fall to Pieces’, ‘Crazy’, and many more, the housewife and the star share the letters and homespun stories of laughter and tears that brought them together. Created and originally directed by Ted Swindley.
“A song-filled valentine!”– Los Angeles Times
DRINKS
Schmooze
Sat, Jul 29, 6:00-8:00 PM, Gaby's Cafe, 141 Canal St.
After a long day soaking up all that Catskills culture, kick up your heels (or sensible shoes) at Gaby's Cafe, a Mexican eatery that makes the finest margaritas this side of the Rio Grande. Cash bar.
Dirty Dancing
FILM
Sat, Jul 29, 8:30 PM, 11 Market St.
Grab a blanket and join us for a free outdoor screening of the iconic film "Dirty Dancing" that will transport you straight back to the summer of '63.
But wait, there's more! We're turning this screening into a full-blown celebration of all things "Dirty Dancing." Channel your inner Baby or unleash your inner Johnny – come dressed as your favorite character from the film! Don't worry if you're more of a spectator than a dancer – everyone is welcome! Sing along to the unforgettable tunes, quote your favorite lines, and feel the exhilaration as Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey sweep you off your feet.
Don't miss out on the time of your life – we can't wait to see you there!
Borscht Belt Fest Street Fair
Sat, Jul 29, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Our curated street fair, spread across several blocks of downtown Ellenville. The event will feature local artisans, nostalgic merchandise, and delicious food, including artful interpretations of Jewish classics. Enjoy a full day of entertainment with bands, singers, street vendors, games, galleries and more. We're proud to partner with dozens of local and regional restaurants, delis, and food trucks to offer a range of culinary classics and contemporary twists. Come join us, the Borscht Belt is back!
Photo: Lauren Volo
Robin Schwartzman Caricatures
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Get ready for your close up! Relive the grand tradition of having your caricature drawn in the Borscht Belt. Robin Schwartzman is an award-winning caricaturist who has been drawing professionally for over 20 years. Following in the footsteps of legendary Catskills caricaturists such as Lazar Krstich, Robin is ready to draw a silly sketch of you!
The Rock Academy Showband
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Sat, Jul 29, 11:45 AM, Liberty Square
The Rock Academy Showband is an advanced touring group of young musicians between the ages of 12 and 18 who have been selected for their musical dedication, showmanship, love of performing, and ability to share the stage with professional musicians as they tour the world.
Sets range from an eclectic mix of rock, high energy funk and dance to psychedelic deep cuts. A standing ovation from Blondie’s crowd, or holding a room on their own, this band delivers a great show.
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Steve Max: Simon Sez
Sat, Jul 29, 12:30 PM, Liberty Square
Try your luck against the country's most formidable Simon Sez caller, Steve Max, a modern-day tummler who got his start at great Borscht Belt hotels and has kept the tradition going at live events across the country. Prepare to lose -- and laugh!
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Steve Max: Hula Hoop Contest
Sat, Jul 29, 1:00 PM, Liberty Square
Limber up and prepare those creaky hips for a frenzy of hoop-tastic hilarity as we find out who is the fiercest hula-hooper on this side of the Hudson. Tummler Steve Max will lead participants in a contest of hip-swiveling madness -- and award a special prize to the winner.
Hoola-hoops will be provided, first come, first served!
The Shul Band
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Sat, Jul 29, 1:30 PM, Liberty Square
The Shul Band plays music rooted in Jewish folk culture but drawing on the wellsprings of New York City and the whole wide world. From klezmer to Kashmir, liturgical melodies to virtuosic original songs, The Shul Band is equally prayerful and raucous, meditative and joyful. The Shul Band has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Angel Orensanz Center, (le) Poisson Rouge, Barbés Brooklyn, The Most Arts Center (London), Klezmer Hois (Krakow), The Museum of Natural History, Ellis Island, and The Israeli Day Parade.
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Patti Greco Sunshine
Sat, Jul 29, 2:30 PM, Liberty Square
Patti Greco Sunshine, made her debut at the Pines Hotel at the age of 10 in the Mal Z Madness show. She honed her craft here in the Catskill Mountains working with the best musicians and entertainers, and picking up tips from her Father Johnny Greco, who was regarded as one of the best MC’s and Tumlers in the Catskills. Her talent took her to around the globe including Atlantic City, Las Vegas and she headlined for many years on the cruise ships, but she is always proud to call herself a ‘Catskill Mountain Entertainer’.
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
The Great Babka Bake Off
Sat, Jul 29, 2:45 PM, Liberty Square
Ladies and Gentlemen, Preheat Your Ovens!
Do you have what it takes to be the best babka baker in all the land? Whether it's chocolate, cinnamon, poppyseed or pumpkin, submit your home-baked confection to our discerning panel of judges, who will anoint the top three winners before a live audience. All are welcome to enter their fabulous and creative babkas!
The top prize: a $100 gift certificate to Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse.
Your judges: Liz Alpern of The Gefilteria, cookbook author June Hersh, Brett August of the podcast Cooking in the Catskills and "Debbie Does Dining" food columnist Debbie Bigelisen.
To enter, email us at events@borschtbeltmuseum.org
Isle of Klezbos
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Sat, Jul 29, 3:30 PM, Liberty Square
Isle of Klezbos approaches Yiddish musical tradition with loving irreverence and profound respect. Now in their 25th anniversary year, the band has toured from Vienna to Vancouver, soon launching a new album to follow up their award-winning debut "Greetings from the Isle of Klezbos" and acclaimed concert recording "Live From Brooklyn." The group has been seen and heard on HBO, NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, PBS and The L Word, as well as enjoying collaborations with artists such as Jill Sobule, Gregg Bordowitz and the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling Scissor Sisters.
"cutting edge klezmer" ~ New York Magazine
"rapturous and rollicking" ~ L.A. Blade
The Truants
STREET FAIR ENTERTAINMENT
Sat, Jul 29, 5:00 PM, Liberty Square
FUN is what The Truants give you! The repertoire is selected specifically for dancing and parties featuring classic Rock and Roll. If you’re not dancing at a Truants show, you’re probably recovering from hip surgery. There’s no other explanation.
Their motto is that they “Play nothing after 1967!” and feature hits, B sides and deep cuts from the British Invasion and Garage band years of the 1960s.
“Nothin’ but fun!” - David Letterman
