The holidays here don’t arrive on a schedule—they settle in with the first snow, the wood smoke curling from chimneys, the way Main Street storefronts glow warm against December dusk. Communities gather more slowly here. Neighborly. Real.
This is a season of fires that crackle, cups of tea that steam and just the right amount of elfish secrecy. We all know about the “gift closet,” but we’d rather not peek. It’s a time when preparing holds just as much pleasure as the moment itself—fresh-baked cookies made from recipes passed down through generations, hands working dough together at the same kitchen table.
Connections get made and remade. Greetings sent to people not seen in years. Less filter, more friend. Emoji less, emotion more. Each a story in real time. Like these.
The First Snow
“For me, the holiday season begins with the first snow. It changes everything and instantly makes life more joyful and warm. No matter how many years I’ve lived here, it’s a different, but wonderful feeling each time. Maybe it’s the anticipation or maybe it’s because you never really know when the first flake is going to fall. It’s a surprise gift each time.
It’s seeing kids enjoying a snow day or helping a neighbor shovel the end of their driveway. Snow gets everyone outside to do things together.”
~ Rob Rayevsky, Double Up Bus, Parksville
Less Hallmark, More Hometown
“Maybe it sounds cheesy, but Catskill communities look a lot like Hallmark movies during the holidays. They just don’t feel like them. Holiday in Hurleyville is a good example. Everyone, I mean everyone, gets together for a hometown celebration you could stick on a postcard.
I also love Peace, Love and Lights at Bethel Woods, but perhaps my favorite part about going to it is the drive to get there. Every year, we take the same backroads to get there just to check out the houses that go all out with decorations. It’s become a family tradition that I couldn’t imagine not doing.”
~ Lordessa Hunt, Hurleyville Performing Arts Center, Hurleyville
A Time of Sharing & Giving
“One of my favorite holiday moments in the Catskills is the Barryville Tree Lighting, when the community comes together and the season officially begins. I also love hosting my annual gingerbread party, where neighbors and friends gather to decorate gingerbread houses, make ornaments, and share lots of laughter and holiday cheer.
My favorite holiday tradition is the work I do with Catskills Pride and the Boys & Girls Club of Wallkill. Through collection drives and gift adoption, we help ensure children have presents to open and smiles on their faces Christmas morning. It’s a beautiful reminder that the holidays are about giving and community.”
~ Omar Osbourne, Catskill Pride, Barryville
Tastes of a Special Season
“The holiday tradition I’m most looking forward to this year is the Feast of the Seven Fishes at Bethel Woods on Friday, December 19. Inspired by the Italian American Christmas Eve celebration, this seven-course seafood dinner is a festive way to slow down and savor the season.
I’m especially excited to dine in the gorgeous Event Gallery with its oversized fireplace and stunning decorations, indulging in a gourmet menu thoughtfully designed by Executive Chef Joel Trocino. With the added bonus of the museum, I can tell it’s going to be a memorable and unique way to celebrate the season in the Catskills.”
~ MacKenzie Peck, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel Woods
Pancakes & Pine Trees
“One of my favorite holiday traditions in the Sullivan Catskills is our annual breakfast with Santa at the Wurtsboro Fire Department. It’s hands down one of the best holiday breakfasts in Sullivan County and really kicks off the season for our family.
After that, we usually cut down our own Christmas tree—either right at Winterton Farms or over at Maplehorst Farm—which feels like a true Catskills tradition and a special way to spend time together outdoors.
And of course, no holiday season is complete without making s’mores around the fire pits at Winterton Farms and Two Farms Brewing. It’s simple, cozy, and one of those traditions the kids look forward to every single year.”
~ Erika Malmgreen, Winterton Farms, Bloomingburg
The Feeling of Shopping Local
“One of my favorite traditions is visiting local shops to discover unique finds/gifts. The area has an incredible range of artisans and makers. Each shop feels like one is uncovering a little piece of the region’s personality. A few of my go-to shops are Forestburgh General Store, North Branch Cider Mill, Sullivan Sundries and Spruce Home Goods.
While many shops feature artisan offerings, I recommend reaching out directly to the makers themselves as well. Supporting local artists and businesses truly makes a difference. Replacing mindless transactions with meaningful purchases and connection makes overwhelming tasks meaningful.”
~ Sarah Banks, The Chatwal Lodge, White Lake
First Chair
“When I was a kid, the holiday season started with first chair at Holiday Mountain. We’d ski in the evenings after school and feel like we were getting away with the greatest gift a kid could get.
Then as soon as school break started, we got to experience the gift all day, every day, with all of our friends. It was a time when everyone got dropped off at the mountain and we skied and goofed around until the lifts stopped spinning.
Now that Holiday is opening back up again with better snowmaking, new lifts, new runs and snow tubing, I get to see that joy all over again through families returning to the mountain together or experiencing it for the first time.
~ Becky Mitchell, Holiday Mountain, Monticello
Create Your Holiday Tradition in the Catskills
What’s your Sullivan Catskills holiday story?
Take a snowy stroll down Livingston Manor’s Main Street with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. Lose yourself in the wonder of a solstice bonfire at Cochecton Farm or the clean-air quiet of a snowshoe hike up Historic Walnut Mountain in Liberty. Grab your skates and paint crisp lines on the Callicoon pond or join a pickup game at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds.
Pop into a holiday market to pour your own candle, decorate gingerbread cookies at the local library, or wassail into a Christmas concert. This is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of place where caroling welcomes audience participation.
Share a smile. A warm hug. Snap a photo or two. You never know which one will make the cover of next year’s “Warm Holiday Greetings from the Catskills.”