Exterior of the Borscht Belt Museum located in Ellenville, N.Y.

ELLENVILLE – The Borscht Belt Museum announces the return of Borscht Belt Fest 2025, a three-day celebration of Jewish-American comedy and Catskills culture July 25-27, in Ellenville, New York. Borscht Belt Fest celebrates the legacy of the Catskills resort era, when Jewish-American entertainers like Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, and Jerry Lewis developed their craft in upstate New York.

The festival features Josh Gondelman, an Emmy Award-winning writer for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” closing program on Saturday night. Elon Gold, star of the Netflix special “Chosen & Taken” and host of a Jewish podcast, “Stars of David,” headlines Sunday evening. Rabbi Bob Alper, the world’s only practicing clergyman doing stand-up comedy professionally, performs Sunday afternoon.

“This festival captures the essence of what made the Borscht Belt so special — the perfect marriage of sharp wit, cultural storytelling, and community celebration,” said Andrew Jacobs, board president of the Borscht Belt Museum.

The festival will include talks on Yiddish music, Jewish cuisine, and the transition from Catskills stages to television. The museum exhibition, “And Such Small Portions!” examines the intersection of food and comedy in the resort era.

Programming highlights, according to organizers are the   “Friday Night Schmooze, Comedy & Cocktails” at Tony & Nick’s Italian restaurant with open-mic comedy, Multiple comedy shows on Saturday including “Borscht Belt Classic,” “Immigrant Jam” comedy, and “Blind Comedy Auction” and cultural programming Blue Comedy: When Comics Crossed the Line” and a tribute to the late Robert Klein with a documentary screening.

The festival continues on Sunday with a street fair on Canal Street, live klezmer music, family activities, a rugelach bake-off, and performances by Danny Lipsitz’s High Anxiety Brass Band and Klezmer Berl’s Hotsie Totsie Orkester.

The festival explores Borscht Belt culture through talks on Yiddish music, Jewish cuisine, and the transition from Catskills stages to television. The new museum exhibition “And Such Small Portions!” examines the intersection of food and comedy in the resort era.

Information and tickets may be obtained at borschtbeltfest.org, events@borschtbeltmuseum.org