Join a 3rd generation insider with no illusions for a behind-the-scenes look at the Borscht Belt’s Golden Era. It wasn’t all sunshine and glamor. This tour peels back the glitzy showbiz tales and shows the gritty, heartfelt reality of growing up in this once-thriving region. Learn how life was tough, turbulent, and alternately warm and hard. Hear how the Catskills flourished and faltered, how it felt to watch the life you knew and your livelihood fall apart, as well as how to pick it all up again in new ways. It’s actually a different kind of love story. How one hotel brat went from ambivalence to appreciation to passion over a lifetime. “We were carnies – carnival people – only we didn’t move the tents. That’s the Borscht Belt in a nutshell, and we were the chief nuts.”

Buy a copy of the book: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-conservancys-pushcart

Born into the carnival life of a Borscht Belt Catskills hotel family, your guide, Bart A. Charlow, has never let the ordinary constrain him. From professional photography to painting, he has always set his creativity free, now entering into the realm of authorship. His first book, "A Catskill Carnival", is a memoir of his early years captures the the hustle, the heart, and humor of the real Borscht Belt. "Pickle Barrel Tales", his second book is a companion to Carnival, featuring over 50 wry vignettes from several "mountain rats" about the Borscht Belt, illustrated with humorous sketches. He has been a favored speaker on TV, radio, and in print media for decades. Among honors he holds is the Jefferson Award for his community leadership and service.

Recorded on 27 July 2025 at the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy