FALL IN NEW YORK’S SULLIVAN CATSKILLS It’s Time to Go

October is a lovely time to break out your flannel and fleece and head to New York’s Sullivan Catskills, just 90 miles from Manhattan. The charming small towns have become hip, trendy getaways, and the countryside is ablaze in reds and golds, fall markets, light shows, and more.

Start an October visit in Narrowsburg, where on October 5, they’ll celebrate the area’s heritage with Logging Days from 11 am to 5 pm. The family-friendly riverfront event will feature a Lumberjack Contest with 12 different competitions. There will also be food vendors, music, a baking contest, beard & mustache contest, fun activities for the kids, and more. Three other fun family things to do on October include the Harvest Festival on Main Street from 3 to 7 pm featuring vendors, face painting, and live performers. And a Pumpkin Décor Workshop at Lavender Sky Farm in Bethel.

At nightfall, head to the indoor Event Gallery at Bethel Woods, where John Sebastian, frontman for the popular mid-‘60s band The Lovin’ Spoonful, will take the stage for an 8 pm performance.

On October 13, the river town of Callicoon will host the Callicoon Art Walk, a daylong showcase of the local arts scene in the picturesque hamlet. The event promises to feature local art, performances, and workshops in unconventional spaces, including storefronts and public spaces.

The 13th annual Big Eddy Film Festival, produced by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, will take place from October 17 to 20. The festival attracts filmmakers and film lovers with its unique creative upstate energy.

As Halloween approaches, Bethel Woods puts on its 4th annual Peace, Love & Pumpkins enchanting walk-through Halloween experience. From October 11-25, this nightly family-friendly event winds through the garden trails of the beautiful Bethel Woods historic grounds, highlighting hand-carved jack-o-lanterns and glowing-themed pumpkin art. During the almost three-week run, weekends offer special events, including Boos & Booze and Meet the Maker Guided Tour.

Outdoor lovers, stretch your legs and enjoy the fall foliage with a hike on the Tusten Mountain Trail or one of the numer- ous other trails featured on Trailkeeper.org to guide your on-foot journey. Got pedal power? You can ride a bike on the O&W Rail Trail, with rentals available at Fortress Bikes in Hurleyville or Cinder Tracks in Mountaindale.

You can enjoy the foliage along the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway by car. Along the way, be sure to watch for the hand-painted sculptures that are part of the colorful Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail, a tribute to the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival held here in 1969. To help guide you to each dove location, download the trail map at SullivanCatskills.com or find each dove’s location on the free Sullivan Catskills Go app.

The fairways light up with color in October. Serious golfers won’t want to miss the Monster Golf Course at Resorts World Catskills. Other challenging and popular courses include Villa Roma, Roscoe Mountain Club, Tarry Brae, Lochmor, and the Sullivan County Golf and Country Club (Try Smok’d BBQ here after your round. You won’t be disappointed).

Hungry? October 28 through November 11 is Restaurant Week. It’s an excellent opportunity to sample the flavors of our inventive and James Beard-nominated restaurants. Enjoy farmfresh 3-course lunches and dinners from $29.95-$44.95 at Blue Fox Motel, Cellaio, Kenoza Hall, Lotus, Roscoe Mountain Club, Seminary Hill Orchard & Cidery, Tavern on Main, The Arnold

House, The DeBruce, The Heron Restaurant, The Homestead Restaurant+Lounge, and Yasgur’s Café at the Museum at Bethel Woods.

The Good Taste Beverage Trail is a favorite for craft beer, wine, cider, and spirits lovers. Sample the award-winning flavors while you chat with the proprietors and learn their backstories. The newest member of the trail is Big Eddy Brewing in Narrowsburg. Want to learn more about how to taste and evaluate wine and its characteristics, terminology, and history? Check out the wine classes at Terra Space in Jeffersonville, led by A.J. Ojeda-Pons, a certified WSET (Wine Spirt and Education Trust) Sommelier.

If you want to spend a night or a weekend, the full-service resorts—Resorts World Catskills, Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark, and Villa Roma—cater to your every need. Vacation rentals are plentiful, as are the boutique inns, including Kenoza Hall, Callicoon Hills, The Bradstan at The Eldred Preserve; Chatwal Lodge at the Chapin Estate; For a more rustic visit try cabins at Antrim Streamside, glamping and vintage RVs at The Domes at Catskills, Boheme Retreats and over a dozen more.

To book an autumn visit and plan your itinerary, visit SullivanCatskills.com. You’ll also want to download the Sullivan Catskills Go App—a valuable tool to guide you to the fun.