BORSCHT BELT FEST Three-Day Celebration of Catskills Culture to Return to Ellenville

The Borscht Belt Museum will present the return of Borscht Belt Fest, a three-day celebration of Catskills culture, comedy, music, food and storytelling taking place July 24-26 throughout the village of Ellenville, rain or shine. 

Now entering its third summer, the festival transforms the historic mountain town into a vibrant hub of performances, conversations, culinary experiences, archival exhibitions and family-friendly entertainment inspired by the enduring legacy of the Catskills resort era. Throughout the town, empty storefront windows become living snapshots of the 1950s and 1960s, featuring immersive vignettes that transport visitors back in time. Guests are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the era by dressing in vintage Borscht Belt-inspired attire, with prizes awarded for the most creative and authentic costumes.

Programming spans intimate salon-style discussions and exclusive home tours, headline comedy performances, live music, storytelling events and thoughtfully curated cultural panels, offering experiences for every generation. New this year are expanded culinary and heritage experiences, including a brunch and private tour with renowned archivist Allen Frishman; immersive conversations exploring architecture, Jewish food culture and the musical evolution of the Borscht Belt; a lively free Saturday Makers Market featuring more than 30 high-end craft vendors, and the free Sunday Street Fair, showcasing over 100 regional artisans, collectors, food purveyors and specialty vendors, including the Manischewitz food truck. There will also be a selection of the Best of Hudson Valley wineries, ales (including Catskill Taps' 1940's fire truck), distilleries and ciders. Adding to the festive spirit, judges will award a prize for Best Decorated Booth, with the winning vendor receiving a complimentary booth at next year's festival.

Fest highlights include:

• Headline performances at Shadowland Stages with stand-up comics on Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 p.m. Ariel Elias, who gained widespread attention for her viral response to a heckler and has since appeared on late-night television, and on Sunday, July 26 at 5:00 p.m. Olga Namer, recognized for her sharp crowd work and standout sets across the New York comedy circuit, and at 7:00 p.m. Harrison Greenbaum, described as "the hardest-working man in comedy" by both Time Out New York and the New York Daily News. 

• Meshuggeneh Nation: Jewish Humor and the News is a panel on how Borscht Belt comedy shaped modern American political satire, from Mort Sahl and Henny Youngman to Jon Stewart and John Oliver, turning outsider humor into a tool for questioning authority and accountability. Panelists include Gideon Evans (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), moderated by comedian and political activist Joey Novick.

• The Borscht Belt Classic comedy showcases, featuring both established and emerging comics carrying forward the Catskills tradition of sharp, fast-paced stand-up.

• The Schmooze brings folks together for a night of unfiltered kibitzing, kvetching and improv comedy. With a charismatic cast of experienced comedians, ages 70+, you'll be hooked by their chutzpah.

• Before Woodstock: The Music of The Original Catskills Counterculture. This panel focuses on the music that "Progressive" Jews in The Mountains played, sang and listened to from the 1930s onward.

• Borscht Belt Rhythm and Beats: The Musical Melting Pot, a multimedia presentation blending archival imagery, scholarship and live music exploring the sounds that shaped the Catskills, from the soulful strains of Yiddish theater and traditional prayer to the infectious, high-energy fusion of Swing, R&B and Latin mambo.

• The Jewish Dating Game, a live Jewish comedy dating show hosted by comedian and matchmaker Linnea Sage.

• Meet the Archivist Field Trip: Brunch & Private Home Tour, an exclusive bagels-and-lox breakfast and guided visit through archivist Allen Frishman's extraordinary private collection of rescued Borscht Belt artifacts and ephemera.

• Culinary and cultural programming including Nosh, Nurture and Narrative, exploring how Jewish cuisine transformed New York dining culture from the Lower East Side to the Catskills.

• A Kugel Cookoff that awards a trophy and other prizes to the winner of a contest, open to the public, judged by a panel of three prominent chefs who will weigh public submissions of this classic egg noodle dish cherished by Eastern European immigrants. 

The festival also includes family-friendly workshops, architecture and preservation discussions, historical panels, a comedy writing lab, live storytelling events and opportunities for attendees to contribute their own Catskills memories and artifacts. There will also be an expanded free children's area with an art van, an environmental planting booth and Princess Meet and Greet.

Visitors are encouraged to make a weekend of the festival with stays at the region's celebrated resorts and retreats, including Honor's Haven Retreat & Conference and Inness, both offering easy access to Ellenville and the surrounding Shawangunk and Catskills landscapes.

Located approximately 90 minutes from New York City, Ellenville offers a scenic Hudson Valley getaway blending mountain views, arts culture, vintage Americana and contemporary hospitality.

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