Following Sullivan County’s Creative Pulse
In Sullivan Catskills, creativity doesn’t live behind velvet ropes or under gallery lights—it flows in open-air markets, hums from old barns turned studios and drifts like fiddle notes across the Delaware River. Here, you don’t just shop for art; you step into the lives of the people who make it.
This is a place where makers don’t mass-produce—they slow down, get their hands in the clay, stir copper kettles of jam and let the seasons guide the work. It’s not a performance. It’s a way of living. And they’re happy to invite you in.
A Sunday Morning in Callicoon
Start your journey like a local at the Callicoon Farmers Market. The smell of fresh-baked pastries from the Bridge Street Bakehouse lingers near the stalls, baskets spill with just-picked vegetables and artisans stand behind tables laden with hand-poured candles, hand-knit scarves and pottery with glazes the color of the river.
Ask about a botanical balm from Dear Botanics and you’ll hear how the calendula was grown and harvested just a few miles away. Pick up a jug of pure maple syrup from Andersen’s Maple Farm and you might hear how the sap was collected from family trees and boiled down in the sugarhouse just a few miles away.
The Makers’ Green in Livingston Manor
Each spring, The Farmhouse Project opens its lush lawn for the Makers Market bringing together more than 50 artisans and locally handcrafted goods in a juried event. You’ll find leather bags from Rane Leather Goods, wheel-thrown pottery from Redpandot Creations and jewelry forged by LaRue & Co.
The air smells of kettle corn and fresh-cut wood. A local band plays from a small stage and visitors wander with coffee cups, stopping to run their hands over a quilt or taste raw honey from Bee Hollow Farm.
An Evening Stroll at the Callicoon ArtWalk
When the crowds disperse and the last notes fade from the Callicoon Artwalk’s live stage, Sullivan Catskills keeps its creative pulse alive—quietly, intimately and often behind the scenes.
Imagine slipping into a modest studio nestled along the banks of the Delaware, where a potter shapes wheel-thrown forms guided by winter-tempered glazes or where a weaver’s hands move rhythmically across the loom, turning fleece into fabric warmed by local dyes. These aren’t postcard moments—they’re invitations to slow down, ask questions and watch something deeply personal come to life, with no rush and no rush.
It’s in these moments—a gallery opening in the window-lit corner of Catskill Art Space, a conversation with a ceramicist at HALL SPACE by Nonneta, or the wonder of an installation in Callicoon Creek Park—that art moves from being seen to being felt.
Beyond the Big Events
Some of Sullivan Catskills’ most remarkable artistry happens in quiet spaces. Plan to visit One Grand Books & Gallery in Narrowsburg, where curated books share walls with fine art photography. Stop by Hester’s Studio in Cochecton for whimsical, hand-painted furniture. Watch a glassblower in Roscoe or a textile artist in Livingston Manor weaving wool from her own flock.
Where Art Meets History
At Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the spirit of Woodstock still lingers, but the creativity is fresh. Between concerts and exhibits, artisan pop-ups bring in jewelers, textile artists and printmakers whose work reflects the Catskills’ blend of nostalgia and modern energy.
Wander through these makeshift markets and you might meet a jeweler hammering silver into river-inspired shapes, a textile artist weaving patterns that echo the colors of Catskills autumn or a printmaker layering bold, modern designs over vintage Woodstock imagery. The blend is seamless—nostalgia in one hand, innovation in the other—reminding you that the arts in Sullivan Catskills aren’t just preserved, they’re evolving with every season.
Why Handmade Still Matters Here
In Sullivan Catskills, handmade isn’t a trend—it’s a tradition. It’s the farmer who grows rye for a distiller, the baker who mills her own flour or the carpenter who turns storm-felled trees into heirloom tables.
Every purchase carries a story—of place, of craft and of the people who keep making, season after season.
Best Seasons to Visit:
- Spring: Makers markets and the first flush of green.
- Fall: Foliage and the harvest season’s bounty of craft fairs.
- Year-round: Farmers markets, studio visits and gallery nights.
Travel Tips:
- Come early for markets—small-batch means supplies can run out.
- Bring cash—some makers prefer it.
- Ask questions—every piece has a story worth hearing.
The Last Word
In Sullivan Catskills, the arts aren’t tucked away—they’re part of the everyday landscape. You might hear a fiddle tune drifting over the river, see a potter’s wheel spinning in a converted barn or step into a market where the air smells of fresh bread and beeswax.
Come for the art, stay for the people. And when you leave with something made here, you’ll take home more than a souvenir—you’ll carry a piece of the land, the labor and the laughter that made it.
