An Arts Scene the Size of Rhode Island Lives in the Sullivan Catskills

A visit to the Sullivan Catskills is an exploration into the arts. Some curated, others accidental. It’s a creative and cultural collision of urban influence and rural landscape, weaving the best of both into an experience that stands entirely on its own. City vibes with creative space to spread out, breathe, celebrate and incorporate the natural world.

As Ariel Shanberg, executive director of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA), puts it: “The Catskills are a year-round, all-weather arts experience the size of Rhode Island.”

Arts Centers and Galleries in the Sullivan Catskills

Pick a Catskill community and chances are there is an official arts hub within the town. Sometimes more than one. The anchor of them all is DVAA, celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a gala so spirited it’s being held at the Sullivan County International Airport.

Born of the civil rights movement and shaped by major shifts in the regional urban landscape, the Catskill mountains have become a haven for creative exploration, with DVAA serving as the lighthouse welcoming that spirit upstate.

“Over time, DVAA has been fortunate to assist arts growth in every corner of Sullivan County,” says Ariel. “The vast majority of which has become sustainably self-supporting through community culture.”

1. Elaine Giguere Arts Center (Narrowsburg): Home of the DVAA, plus a free gallery space inside the historic Arlington Hotel featuring always-changing exhibitions.
2. Tusten Theatre (Narrowsburg): Presents an annual schedule of music, theater, dance, experimental performance and children’s programs.
3. DVAA Shop (Narrowsburg): Discover ceramicists, jewelry artists, fiber artists, printmakers and designers in this unique gift shop whose crafts reflect the creative identity of the Upper Delaware Valley and Sullivan Catskills Region.
4. Catskill Art Space: Explores contemporary art through exhibitions, performances, classes, lectures and screenings.
5. The Roscoe Collective (Roscoe): A creative space dedicated to supporting and showcasing local artists, with an ever-evolving lineup of artist talks, film screenings, workshops, live performances and pop-up dinners.
6. Parksville Arts Center (Parksville): Currently undergoing renovations, PAC is an annual organizer of arts festivals and events that draw visitors from across the region.
7. Hurleyville Arts Center (Hurleyville): A hub for dance, art, film, food and events that engage artists and people of all ages and cultures through the experience of movement and creative expression.
8. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (Bethel): Located on the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, Bethel Woods makes music, visual, performing and creative arts programming available and accessible to all.

“The reason we decided to open our business in Narrowsburg is because of the welcoming, supportive and creative arts community spurred by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, and we know we’re not the only business who can say that.” – Charles Wilkin, Co-Owner, 2 Queens Coffee

Sullivan Catskills Theaters: Where Every Stage Tells a Story

Everything in the Sullivan Catskills is a stage. From professional performances by national artists at Resorts World in Monticello to charming Victorian carolers strolling downtown Callicoon during the annual Dickens on the Delaware Festival each December, there is always something to see.

The challenge here is finding the time to see it all.

1. Forestburg Playhouse (Forestburgh): This former barn turned modern theater remains the heartbeat of Sullivan County’s performing arts scene. Musicals, dramas, cabaret performances, concerts and workshops fill their schedule each season.
2. Nesin Cultural Arts Center: From chorus and dance to visual arts and drama, Nesin nurtures the next generation of performers through the Aspiring Young Musicians program and a rich calendar of community recitals and exhibitions.
3. Rivoli Theatre (South Fallsburg): What began as a vaudeville hall in 1910 has evolved into a South Fallsburg landmark with a packed schedule of plays and children’s programming.
4. Delaware Valley Opera Center and River Rep Theatre (Lake Huntington): A lakefront venue hosting opera, theater and community performances year-round.
5. North American Cultural Laboratory: An artist-run center for research, development and experimentation in the performing arts, with a full schedule of live productions open to all.
6. Catskill Public Theater: A mobile theater bringing 6 to 8 weeks of free summertime performances throughout the Catskill region.

“Creative energy here flows from a vast community of support for the arts, both from those who live here and those who visit. Applause sounds wonderful no matter what zip code the person clapping may call home.” – Franklin Trapp, Producing Artistic Director, Forestburgh Playhouse

Sullivan Catskills Festivals: A Season-by-Season Guide

Nearly every arts center and theater in the Sullivan Catskills hosts a festival or two each season, all of them woven through the communities they call home. Beyond those anchor institutions, the communities themselves go all out, celebrating the uniqueness of each place with a spirit that’s equal parts creative and joyful.

1. Big Eddy Film Festival (Narrowsburg): The Big Eddy Film Festival advances the art of storytelling through the newest and best independent films from around the world and from just down the road. Think Sundance energy rooted in a small-town riverfront setting.
2. Riverfest (Narrowsburg): Produced by DVAA, Riverfest is a 35-year tradition featuring live music, a benefit poster auction, kids crafting, regional street theater and the famous River Dogs Parade.
3. Too Short To Suck Film Festival (Parksville): Hosted by PAC, this annual fest showcases 30 films, each two minutes or less, with an Oscar-style red carpet where attendees dress to impress.
4. Parksville B’Kawk (Parksville): Also hosted by PAC, this annual chicken-themed festival brings live music, vendors, games, food trucks and good old-fashioned fun to downtown Parksville.
5. The Decrepit Ghouls (Parksville): Part comedy, part concert and part ghoulish mayhem, this Halloween-timed immersive experience unfolds over three days in Parksville each October.
6. Trout Parade (Livingston Manor): For more than 20 years, the community of Livingston Manor has celebrated its river in the most fitting way possible: costumes, community and the annual themed Trout Parade.
7. Tractor Parade (Callicoon): Hundreds of tractors young and old roll down Main Street in Callicoon each year, honoring the region’s rich agricultural heritage. The BBQ is a hot ticket.
8. The Bagel Festival (Monticello): The self-dubbed Bagel Capital of Monticello defends its identity each August, drawing more than 20,000 bagel enthusiasts to celebrate the dough-kneading machine local Louis Wichinsky patented in 1968, paving the way for “the forming of the bagel and the like.”
9. Bethel Woods Harvest Festival (Bethel): Spanning the entire month of September, this beloved fall tradition celebrates local farms, food trucks and live music on the legendary grounds that hosted the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival.

“Quality arts performances are something worth traveling anywhere to see. A lot of what happens here is completely free, at a level that should have a ticket price. Either way, the community and the audience both win.” – Todd Perlmutter, Co-Founder, Parksville Arts Center

The Sullivan Catskills Arts Scene: Creativity Woven Into Everyday Life

Arts centers, performance stages and festivals anchor the Catskill arts community, and the culture runs deeper than any single venue. Walk into any restaurant or café and chances are the walls are adorned with local art. Postcards at the pharmacy feature photography and drawings of local scenes captured by local eyes. Park benches become canvases. Wayfinding signs carry more than direction.

“This is a region of self-proprietors who’ve turned what they love into a living that they share with others. That’s a creative endeavor made and curated by choice. Each local business is the owner’s art, and it’s something very unique to Catskill culture.” – Ariel Shanberg, Executive Director, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance

Theater lover, foodie, concert-goer, hay rider, contemporary art collector and everything in between. The Sullivan Catskills has a place and a venue for you.

Tickets sometimes required. Most times not.

Come for the show, stay for the scene. Bold mountains, crisp streams and lush forests open and close every performance here. Encores encouraged.