LAKE HUNTINGTON — The Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project will dedicate its 19^th historical marker on Friday, September 4, in Lake Huntington, followed by a special screening of Dirty Dancing at the historic Nutshell Music Hall, now home to the Delaware Valley Opera. The 5:00 PM dedication will take place at Sullivan West High School, the former site of the Green Acres Hotel, 6604 NY-52, Lake Huntington. The marker, which the Project is designating as its “Western Sullivan County” marker, explores the intertwined histories of Lake Huntington, Fosterdale, Kenoza Lake, and Callicoon— communities that formed a vibrant and diverse resort corridor in western Sullivan County. It tells the stories of the Jewish, Black, Italian, and Polish communities who vacationed, worked, farmed, and built lives here, alongside health-focused and worker-oriented resorts and retreats. Together, these communities and destinations reveal a broader Catskills history—one that extends beyond the better-known grand hotels and the conventional Borscht Belt story.

The dedication will feature Paul Blumberg, son of Esterita “Cissie” and Larry Blumberg, who owned and operated Green Acres in Lake Huntington. After the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1966, they purchased and renovated the New Roxy Hotel in Loch Sheldrake, reopening it as Green Acres. Paul will be joined by his sister, Amy Goldbas, sharing family history and memories of the area. Local students will take part in the ceremony, helping to unveil the new marker and connect this history to the next generation. The marker dedication is free and open to all.

“This marker takes us beyond the better-known Borscht Belt story and into the history of Lake Huntington and the surrounding communities that created their own summer worlds here,” says Marisa Scheinfeld, Project Director of the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project. “Together, these stories reveal just how layered and varied the Catskills’ resort history really was.”

Dirty Dancing at the Nutshell

At 7:30 pm, the celebration continues at the Delaware Valley Opera’s Nutshell Music Hall, a

nearly century-old Catskills dance hall and music venue, 6692 NY-52, overlooking Lake Huntington. Its history, atmosphere, and setting make it a fitting place for a screening of Dirty Dancing, a film that helped

cement the Catskills’ resort era in the popular imagination.

“It’s the perfect Catskills evening,” says Isaac Jeffreys, Visual Coordinator for the project. “You start by uncovering the stories that happened here, then walk into the Nutshell—a nearly century-old dance hall overlooking the lake—and suddenly the past and present start to blur. Watching Dirty Dancing there feels almost cinematic itself, like you’ve stepped into the world of the film.”

Tickets for the film are $10, with popcorn and a full bar available. Proceeds support the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project and Delaware Valley Opera.

Attendees are encouraged to make a night of it and explore the Lake Huntington area, including nearby restaurants before the screening such as Lakeview Pizzeria + Bar and Annie’s Rough Cut. Both restaurants are just a short drive from the Delaware Valley Opera.

For more tickets visit www.eventbrite.com/e/dirty-dancing-at-the-nutshell-delaware-valleyopera-tickets-1994580967366