MONTICELLO, NY — Back in my young-reporter days, I stopped off in front of Monticello’s Bagel Bakery for no reason at all, and met the inventor of the bagel machine.

He was Louis Wichinsky of Hurleyville, and admittedly he was more interested in talking about his plans for sustainable auto fuel and an engine to use it.

But the bagel machine was his main claim to fame, and the New York State Legislature recognized his contribution to culinary innovation in 2013—the year of Monticello’s first Bagel Festival.

The 2023 festival is just around the corner; it’ll take place on Sunday, August 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Broadway.

Organizers promise a day filled with food, fun, music, shopping and more.

The Bagel Festival brings together bagel enthusiasts, community members and visitors—all in celebration of the humble (or not-so-humble) bagel.

It’s not just round bread

In 1960, Beatrice and Ira Henry Freeman, writing in the New York Times, famously described the bagel as an “unsweetened doughnut with rigor mortis.”

Back then, “some 250,000 of the tooth-cracking breakfast goodies” were produced in New York City every day.

How times change. According to a list of “bagel consumption statistics,” between two and 10 million bagels are consumed in the U.S. each day.

The modern bagel comes in a variety of sizes and flavors and colors and toppings, but they all stick to the basic round-with-hole format.

You can’t even call them “unsweetened” anymore. How about a blueberry, a chocolate chip or a French toast bagel to soothe the sweet tooth?

Although there is debate about the bagel’s date of origin, the consensus seems to have settled on sometime in the 17th century, with outliers leaning in on the 14th-century obwarzanek.

Actually, people feel strongly about bagels, even if they aren’t (yet) coming to blows about them. What are appropriate flavors? Does the rainbow bagel merit the name “bagel”? Can you get a real bagel anywhere aside from New York City? Boiled or not? Does the homemade bagel require being set on fire for that authentic taste?

OK, the last only reflects the writer’s personal experience. But it’s a serious question.

Eat your fill, settle a debate

At the festival, you can try new bagels or consume your favorites. You can meet local vendors and check out their unique products. Listen to music, check out the car show, and “immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere that defines this one-of-a-kind festival,” an organizer said.

Lowkey Creative and a select few talented artists have been painting murals throughout the week leading up to the Bagel Festival. They’ll finish their work during the festival itself.

Plus there’s the Any Make Any Model Car Show.

And of course, you might find people to share a discussion about the details of bagel construction or the history of the round, holey bread.

To learn more about the Bagel Festival, visit The Bagel Festival on Facebook or thebagelfestival.org.