WINTER SOLSTICE

Welcome back my friends, come in and take a seat. Winter is nearly here, I hope you stockpiled your cords of wood and are ready. It was great to see everyone at the Queen of the Catskills premiere! It’s a big one, so let’s get right into it and I’ll see ya out there.

The first Dinner Club is in the books and we had over 100 Crew Members come out to meet some neighbors and have some good times. Friends were made, group chats were spun up, and all signs point to a round 2.

Big thanks to all the restaurants that hosted us and Stockade Tavern for taking us all in for the afterparty. The homemade eggnog was 14 out of 10 stars. Not sure why I hated on eggnog for so long — I’ve become… egg’lightened. I’ll share some dates next week and we can lock in our next adventure.

The puzzles are back in stock, with a caveat. The good people at FEDEX are busy at this time of year, so boxes are rolling in at a strange pace. I’ll update the inventory as they arrive and ship them out as orders roll in. So, if you check in and they are gone, check back a bit later. Get yours in the provisions shop.

Note: I hit the road for a few thousand miles on Monday to see family, binge eat seafood, and yes, do some saltwater fly fishing — and since I don’t have a team or even an intern, all shipping will be on hold after Saturday and resume first week of January. Plan accordingly.

CONTRIBUTOR: SANDY

Hi folks, well, the ground is frozen here in the Catskills … Like many who garden, I tend to think about buying seeds in December, if I remember to. I personally am not someone who’s gotten into saving seeds — yet. Maybe I will get into seed saving eventually; it’s just a matter of my bandwidth. I often find this whole gardening for “fun” business can take up an immense amount of my energy and time. Hence I try to decide what parts to focus on (or not), the horizon perpetual. 

Years ago, I profiled Ina Garten (humblebrag, I know). I often recall something she said and I was reflecting that I now buy seeds with a similar spirit. I’d asked how she decides what recipe she wants to develop on a given day. In so many words she answered she just cooks what she wants to eat. So if she’s craving a Waldorf salad, she might wind up focusing on that. Similarly, I buy seeds thinking about what I’m going to want to cook — and eat — next spring, summer, or fall. 

Maybe obvious but before buying seeds, consider your own gardening goals — if not culinary, perhaps aesthetic, medicinal, ease of cultivation, etc. Initially, I was sometimes too optimistic in terms of what I might want to grow, buying way too many packets of seeds. I’d wind up having no space for some stuff sometimes, and/or find what I grew didn’t get eaten or harvested in time. Nowadays, I’ve honed my sense of what actually gets most enthusiastically eaten around here — or successfully given away — and what does not. 

I’m a fan of Hudson Valley Seed Co., who saw me link to their site in my columns. They reached out, kindly offering a 15% discount for Catskill Crew readers. (“Use the code CREW15 at checkout. This code is not valid with other offers. For purchase of full price merchandise only. This code will end January 31, 2026.”)

Good luck, seed buyers! My advice: Don’t dawdle! In my experience, exciting new offerings especially tend to sell fast … More next month, Sandy 

Congratulations to the winner of our giveaway to River Valley Baroque’s concert of Handel’s Messiah this Saturday. Robert V. check your inbox because you are the lucky recipient of two Premium Tickets.

If you haven’t heard, internationally acclaimed artists will perform Messiah on authentic 18-century instruments (cool), sharing music that we’ve never heard in our region before (even cooler). Tickets are going fast, so make sure you snag yours before they sell out. I’ll be in the front row losing my absolute mind when the timpani starts beating, hope to see ya there.

If you missed the news last week and still need to do some last minute holiday shopping, go check out the LOCAL MAKERS GIFT GUIDE I put together with everyone’s help.

TOGETHER WITH UPSTATE CURIOUS

An Artist’s Retreat with 1800s Farmhouse, Studio, 3 Tiny Houses | Kenoza Lake | 3 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,623 sq ft | 92 acres | it also has three ponds and a vineyard

Cozy Cabin with Mountain + Lake Views | Hunter | 3 beds | 3 baths | 1,680 sq ft | .86 acres | ski season

Woodland Hideaway with Lake Access + Cozy Fireplace | Athens | 3 beds | 1.5 baths | 1,344 sq ft | .96 acres | lake life

It’s already cold out there but it’ll get much colder with winter around the corner. Worry not, the good folks at Pink’s won’t be hibernating for the season - instead, they’ll be making sure we all stay nice and warm right at home.

They’re the pros when it comes to air sealing, closing up all those tiny gaps and bigger cracks where the cold air creeps in and the warm sneaks out. So, patch up your homes, save some money on your heating bill, and give Pink’s a call!

Want to spread the good news to over 40,000+ Crew Members?

Via Ravioli in Coxsackie is panettone paradise. They work with six Italian importers to bring in the best of the best—from classic citrus and raisin to dark chocolate, cherry, limoncello, and even pandoro for those who skip the canditi (citrus bits). Open 7 days a week. Now, go get your perfect panettone.

Crew Quarterly Four envelopes mailed to your door, stuffed to the brim with Catskill Goodness. P.S. I’ll plant a tree for each letter sent. Pre-order your Winter Edition today.

Catskill-opoly Probably the best holiday gift you can get. Embark on an unforgettable journey through the Catskills. Just be sure to secure your trash to avoid the bears and dodge the snow storms so you don’t get stranded. Hope you enjoy.

Pocket Tees Good for the trail, by the fire, or six feet under a sugar maple. Screen printed on Comfort Colors. Get one.

Last week’s scramble: Snowpack

PROPERTY: $200k with nice beams and 3 fireplaces

PETS: Tsasha the big pup, Gazpacho the cat, along with Statler and Waldorf the sugar glider siblings.

SKY: The shortest day in the northern hemisphere will arrive on Sunday at 10:03 AM. Winter solstice happens when the Sun will be at the southernmost point in Earth’s sky (and Antartica will experience the midnight sun - 24 hours of daylight). Additionally, the Ursids meteor shower will reach its peak from the 21st to the 22nd. Expect upwards of 7 meteors per hour.

SIGHTINGS: Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) and a Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)

Catskill Crew is 100% free and independently owned and operated (heck, it’s just me). Your contributions go toward keeping the Crew going so we can have more fun and build more community. I appreciate any and all support my friends! - Michael

ADD AN EVENT

Story Screen Cinema, Hudson – Movie Night: Pride & Prejudice at 8pm tickets

Half Moon, Hudson – Last Minute Market and Party from 5-8pm take a gander

Big Eddy Brewing, Narrowsburg – Paint Night at 6pm gotta rsvp so act fast

Left Bank Ciders, Catskill – Northern Spy Reading Series Holiday Party at 6:30pm go sip a cider

Avalon, Catskill – Danny Blume's Big Red Flag at 8pm looks fun

Rough Draft, Kingston – Game Night at 5:30pm

Pines, Mt. Tremper – Music Night with Lali and the Pops at 7pm

Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre – Kids Craft Hour at 6pm for the kiddos

Hudson River Maritime Museum, Kingston – Museum Mates at 11am kiddos x2

Blue Duck, Kingston – Breakfast for Dinner at 6:30pm check it out

Keegan Ales, Kingston – Live music: An Irish Christmas at 6pm

Local Goods, Boiceville – Holiday Hangout & Mini Market at 5:30pm niceeee

Colony, Woodstock – County Hell: A Tribute to The Pogues at 7pm get tix

Avalon, Catskill – Queer Line Dancing at 7:30pm people love line dancing

Outpost BBQ, Kerhonkson – Line Dancing for all ages at 7pm seriously people love line dancing

Upward Brewing, Livingston Manor — 6th Annual Community Holiday Party at 5:30pm have fun 

Return Brewing, Catskill — Mario Kart Tournament from 6-9pm

Wayside Cider, Andes — Farmily Meal with Chef Tara Norvell at 5:30pm save a seat

Sloop Brewing, East Fishkill — LGBTQ+ HoliDating and Comedy with Unhinged Speed Dating at 6:30pm perhaps a hike for some but sharing anyways

Rough Draft, Kingston — Gay Soccer Winter Fundraiser at 6pm deets

Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock — Rhett Miller and the All-Stars Holiday Party at 8pm tickets

Orpheum Performing Arts Center, Tannersville — Holiday Spectacular at 6:30pm join in

Two Farms Brewing, Bloomingburg — Holiday Cookie Exchange at 6:30pm take a look

Mountain Top Arboretum, Tannersville – Winter Solstice Forest Bathing at 4pm get outside

Story Screen Cinema, Hudson – Gremlins VHS Screening & Pasta Night at 8pm what a freaking combo

Opus 40, Saugerties – Winter Solstice Celebration at 3pm winter cometh

The Dale, Mountain Dale - Catsilk Sagitarius Party from 10pm-2am have fun

Storybrook Hollow, Cairo – Christmas at the Castle meet the real santa

Camp Kingston – Zine Machine Fundraiser at 6pm details

Orpheum Theatre, Saugerties – Is This Thing On with Upstate Films at 3pm rsvp

Phoenicia Playhouse – Community Holiday Show & Party: Polar Express at 4pm i still need to see this movie

Return Brewing, Hudson – Jazzy Christmas at 3pm

Bethel Woods Center – Holiday Market Pop-Up at 12pm on santa will be there at 4pm and 6pm

Camp Kingston – Sugar Cookie Dance Party at 3pm this is my speed

Dear Native Grapes, Walton – Tiny's Raw Bar Afternoon at 1pm antioniooo

Catskill Village – Winter Solstice Stroll downtown at 4pm

Fleischmanns – 2nd Annual Holiday Extravaganza at 2pm good stuff

Rough Draft, Kingston – Kids' Story Hour at 10:30am

Rae's, Margaretville – Tarot and Winter Solstice Reading with Trish unlock the mysteries of the universe or just have a martini