HURLEYVILLE, NY — On Sunday, July 21, the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project will host A Happening in Hurleyville, a literary and arts expo celebrating the Borscht Belt. It starts at 1 p.m. with the dedication of a historic marker at the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre. The legendary Mel Brooks, for instance, began his career at age 14 at the hamlet’s Butler Lodge. 

This will be the seventh historic marker dedication in a planned trail of 20.

Dedication speakers include Alan Zweibel, comedy writer, author, producer and original Saturday Night Live writer; Sullivan County Historian John Conway; Gary Dan of the Morningside Hotel and later, Shawanga Lodge; and many more.

Afterward, you can shop the small businesses on Main Street. Organizers highlight the Author Row at Morgan Outdoors, taking place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The curated lineup will feature a selection of Catskill authors and artists. 

There will also be a slideshow titled “Catskilland: Billboards of the Borscht Belt.” Set to a musical backdrop curated by Havurah Arts, the slideshow will take you on a road trip past iconic Sullivan and Ulster County billboards and landscapes from the 1940s through the early 2000s.

A ticketed performance of Sam Sadigursky’s “Solomon Diaries” will take place at HPAC at 3 p.m. Sadigursky is a member of the Philip Glass Ensemble, has released 11 albums and tours with musicians such as David Byrne, Bruce Hornsby and Tom Jones. 

“Solomon Diaries” is a series of three albums written by Sadigursky and inspired by the Borscht Belt. The music will be played as a duo between Sadigursky on clarinet and Nathan Koci on accordion, all juxtaposed with images from the Borscht Belt. The music blends klezmer, jazz, American folk and Middle Eastern rhythms. Tickets for “Solomon Diaries” cost $20 and can be purchased at ci.ovationtix.com/34881/production/1199521. 

The happening is free and open to all, except for “Solomon Diaries.”

Learn more about the event and the Marker Project at www.borschtbelthistoricalmarkerproject.org.