Garden Holiday
August 27 – September 1, 2023
More details to come as we celebrate 89 years of Garden Holiday
Availability is limited. For reservations, please call .
PAST SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28
Welcome and Garden Tour
Join Mohonk’s Garden Supervisor, Clinton Claussen and Head Gardener Chris Sutton for a guided stroll into the gardens to begin your stay. While meeting our Garden Holiday Team, make sure to pick up your welcome letter, annual themed pin, and a cup of tea!
Remembering Pat Guralnik – Frederic Chiu Salon Concert
Known for his innovative and engaging programs, acclaimed concert pianist Frederic Chiu occupies a special place in the world of classical music and in the hearts of Mohonk regulars. This afternoon salon style recital pays tribute to Patricia Smiley Guralnik, founder of Mohonk’s summer Festival of the Arts and features several of Pat’s favorites including works by Chopin, Debussy and Prokofiev.
Hudson Valley String Quartet
The award-winning Hudson Valley String Quartet kicks off our Garden Holiday with an elegant concert of classical music in the Parlor. The concert will evoke birds and flowers from the garden, selections including Haydn’s Lark Quartet and and Puccini’s Cristemi (Chrysanthemums).
MONDAY, AUGUST 29
Summerhouse Tour: Behind the scenes with Mohonk’s Rustic Carpenters
Summerhouses have been an integral feature of Mohonk’s breathtaking grounds since the beginning. During this walk you will see the latest projects undertaken by this very talented crew. Prepare to be amazed!
Miniature Marvels: Terrarium Workshop
Terrariums were very chic during the Victorian era. Join Mohonk’s Greenhouse Supervisor Michael Allsop and take the opportunity to re-create your own moss-terrarium to enjoy for years to come. This event is for guests attending Garden Holiday. Advance sign up required, space is limited.
Valrhona Chocolate Bonbons Demo
Chef Guillaume Roesz brings his culinary talents to Mohonk in celebration of our Garden Holiday. His colorfully crafted molden chocolate bonbons featured flavors including purple coca butter, coconut ganache, olive-oil vanilla, Bahibe raspberry ganache and more.
Tasting with Maganini Winery*
Enjoy a taste of the proudest blends of wine from Maganini Winery while learning about its history and winemaking process.*$40 per person program fee for admittance to the tasting. Space is limited. Participants must be age 21 or over to attend.
Gardenia Girl: Tara O’Grady sings Billie Holiday
Singer-songwriter Tara O’Grady and her Black Velvet Band perform the songs of legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday, along with a bouquet of originals inspired by the flower wearing songstress.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30
Centerpiece Arrangements Workshop
Join florists from the Hudson Valley’s Green Cottage as we create the ROYGBIV Centerpieces for the afternoons Victorian Garden Party. Advance sign up required, space is limited.
Flower Crowns Workshop with Circle Creative Collection
Create a one-of-a-kind crown from a variety of flowers to wear to our annual Victorian Tea Garden Party. Advance sign up required, space is limited.
Victorian High Tea Garden Party
Enjoy Mohonk’s traditional afternoon teatime in our award-winning show garden. Listen to the melodic sounds of flute and harp, and please be sure to wear your favorite garden party hat! Open to overnight resort guests only.
Magician Randy Shine
Magician Randy Shine is known for performing “Real Magic for Real People.” In other words, no smoke, no mirrors, just pure mind-boggling magic entertainment. He was named three-time College Magician of the year, performed for the troops on Navy bases in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. Randy has also, appeared on the CW network’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us. and Masters if Illusions ” As one audience member put it “He is so much more than a magician he’s CHARISMATIC, FUNNY; he is an ENTERTAINER!”
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31
Forest Bathing through Mohonk’s Gardens
Join Nina Smiley, Mohonk’s Director of Mindfulness Programming, as she takes you on a gentle and mindful walk through Mohonk’s exceptional gardens. You will have the opportunity to focus on your senses as you take in the beautiful sights and smells that abundantly surround you.
Yoga in the Garden
Join Mohonk instructor Brenda Marafioti for a class of all levels. this class will focus on balance and proper alignment of some of the basic yoga poses. A blend of gentle flowing yoga and standing poses to improve strength and flexibility. Guests must be 16 years or older to participate.
The Power of Botanical Skincare with Swiss Line
The presence of flowers can be powerful, especially when it comes to taking care of your skin. Join biotech wizards from Swiss Line by Dermalab as the lead a discussion into the science of botanicals and the lasting benefits it provides to our skincare health. Samples will be provided and products available for purchase. Advance sign up required, space is limited.
Warm Brass in the Garden
Inspired by the beautiful landscape at Mohonk Mountain House, saxophone duo Aleks Pilmanis and Josh Dingman perform duets and arrangements that invoke the warmth of summer and the beauty of nature.
Lakeside Lawn Party
Our Lakeside Lawn Parties feature the best of the Mohonk summer season! Enjoy an evening of fun with one man sideshow David Darwin at 7:45 p.m. and live music with Mariachi Citlalli at 8:30 p.m. Hudson Valley vendors will offer tastings of food, wine, beer, and spirits alongside carnival classics including popcorn, cotton candy, and lawn games.
Mariachi Citlalli
Lead by musical director Francisco Navarrete, Mariachi Mariachi Citlalli features four generations of musicians performing the traditional musical style from Estado de Mexico, highlighted by festive brass and strings. Best known for their artistry in Mariachi style, this family seeks to carry forward the mariachi sounds while incorporating a modern flair.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
Garden Tour
Take a morning stroll with a member of Mohonk’s garden staff for an official tour around this season’s colorful version of the garden as they talk about the techniques required to complete this complicated endeavor year after year.
Gua Sha Facial Fusion Workshop
Learn how to release tension, stress, and puffiness from your face with take-home practices you can use in as little as three minutes a day. Gua Sha, a facial technique that stems from traditional Chinese medicine, reduces puffiness and sinus pressure and combats the aging aspects of stress. This workshop offers a guided maintenance routine for our Gua Sha Facial Fusion treatment. Each participant will use a Jade Gua Sha stone, Eminence Biodynamic Facial Recovery Oil, and a step-by-step card for reference. By regularly using your new-found knowledge of Gua Sha Facial Fusion, you’ll achieve a brighter and more youthful complexion. Advance sign up required, space is limited.
Macrame Plant Hanger Workshop with Poliana Danila
Come learn the magic of ropes, spiral, square and gathering knots and join us for macramé plant hanger class. These plant hangers are perfect for any home decor, whether you’re going for a boho chic look or simply just want to add a touch of nature to a room. Advance sign up required, space is limited.
Planting the Rainbow
Join garden supervisor Clinton Claussen on a visual journey through our ROYGBIV garden. Using photographs from this year’s show garden and sharing examples of some of his favorite plants to use in each of the colors, Clinton will show you how you too can plant your very own rainbow.
Tasting with Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders
Join Justin Panzer as he shares his knowledge of fine teas. Featured on Samantha Brown Travels, he will share insight into several fine teas, demonstrate proper tea preparation, and offer a tasting that will leave you wanting more.
Songs for a Summer Night
Featuring music from the Great American Song Book, Tom and Maureen Stewart are a favorite of Mountain House guests and have been a long-time part of the Garden Holiday Program. They will be joined by long time friend and Mohonk familiar Don Rebic.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Botanical Prints Workshop with Poliana Danila
Learn different bundling techniques to print on the natural color of the protein or cellulose fabric (cotton and silk). The second part of the workshop captures the brilliance of nature’s color on fabric using Hapa Zome, the art of hammering leaves and pounding natural pigment into cloth to create natural imprints of plants to produce surprisingly detailed prints. Advance sign up required, space is limited.
Availability is limited. For reservations, please call .
PROGRAM LEADERS
Clinton Claussen
Clinton Claussen is the garden supervisor at Mohonk Mountain House. In 2017 he started with the Rustic carpenters and transitioned to the garden staff that winter. He is an avid outdoorsman who has an enormous wealth of knowledge on the region’s flora and fauna. He majored in Philosophy and Literature at the University of Iowa.
Frederic Chiu
Frederic Chiu plays major venues on five continents: Lincoln Center in New York, Le Châtelet in Paris, the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, and extensive tours in smaller and unusual venues. With a vibrant concert schedule, a legacy of 30 CDs, and a stream of superlatives from major critics around the globe, pianist Frederic Chiu occupies a special place in the world of classical music. In an eclectic career encompassing unusual collaborations and little-played repertoire, along with explorations into the psychology of performance, Mr. Chiu has demonstrated an ability to go beyond boundaries and to bring listeners with him.
Nina Smiley, Ph.D.
Nina Smiley, Ph.D., graduated from Vassar College and earned a doctoral degree in psychology from Princeton University. She is co-author of The Three Minute Meditator, now in its fifth edition and translated into seven languages, and Mindfulness in Nature, along with the CD Mini-Meditations That Will Enhance Your Life. Nina taught psychology at the University of Maryland and worked at the American Psychological Association. She has studied mindfulness with Jack Kornfield (founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center), Sharon Salzberg (co-founder of Insight Meditation Society), and others. Nina’s work has been featured in The New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Shape and Prevention. She delights in sharing insights about mindfulness meditation and well-being.
Hudson Valley String Quartet
Hudson Valley String Quartet encompasses violinists Marka Young and David Fiedler, violist Lauren Byrne, and cellist Jeanne Fox.Originating in Warwick NY in 2012, the Quartet was formed with the immediate goal of performing for community-based events, but quickly found there was a need for more chamber music performance in every community. The Hudson Valley String Quartet is dedicated to bringing great string quartet literature to concert scenes in the greater Hudson Valley region and beyond – performing in concert series, fundraising events, house concerts, and sometimes in venues where you’d least expect them.
Tara O’Grady
Tara O’Grady is a singer-songwriter, recording artist, and author. In addition to her five albums of jazz, blues and folk music, she published her first memoir, Migrating Toward Happiness: The Soundtrack to My Spiritual Awakening, in 2019. Her CD releases include: Black Irish (2010), Good Things Come to Those Who Wait (2011), A Celt in the Cotton Club (2013), Irish Bayou (2015), and Folk Songs: Songs About Real Folks (2017). She wrote her sixth album of songs in Key West, Florida during an arts residency program sponsored by The Studios of Key West.
Green Cottage
Green Cottage has been the Hudson Valley’s award winning florist and boutique for unique and artisan gifts for over 23 years, nestled in the hamlet of High Falls, New York. With a focus on local artists, the shop is stocked with cards, jewelry, accessories, luxury bath products, home goods and fanciful children’s products. Sharing a love of beauty and country life, Dennis Nutley and David Urso founded the Green Cottage in 1997, building a small and dedicated staff, many of whom have now been with the store for decades.
Circle Creative Collective
Circle Creative Collective is a local community organization of artists and makers that aims to connect and inspire diverse groups by sharing and preserving traditional crafts and skills. With a specific focus on promoting crafts, skills, events, and transformative ideas to honor unique heritages and shared experiences, this collective pursues a more inclusive, creative, and joyous world. Their repertoire includes hands-on social multigenerational workshops drawing on traditional, multi-cultural, and sustainably-sourced crafts including papermaking, weaving, soap-making, felting, gardening, beekeeping, foraging, and many more! For more information, visit www.circlecreativecollective.org.
Mariachi Artístico
Mariachi Artístico pride themselves on their professionalism and passion for their art. This passion has allowed them to perform with artists such as Luis Miguel, Pedro Fernandez, and Cristian Castro at venues such as the Madison Square Garden. They’ve appeared on hit shows such as ABC’s The Chew and One Life To Live. They’ve performed at events hosted by Billy Joe Armstrong, Billy Joel, Richard Gere, President George H. W. Bush, Conan O’Brien, and Salma Hayek to name a few.
Poliana Danila
Poliana Danila has harbored a love for gardening since she was a young girl growing up in Romania. She graduated from the University of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture in Romania and, after graduation, moved to the United States. While taking the landscape design program at the New York Botanical Garden, Poliana designed roof top gardens in Manhattan and later taught “how to design gardens” in Wilton, CT at a Continuing Education program. In 2013 she started to work with different fibers such as hemp, nettle, linen, cotton, and ramie. Her first fiber inspiration was her grandmother, Ioana, an avid weaver who used a big floor loom to make unique tapestries such as blankets, wall hangings, rugs, and floor rugs. She has had the privilege to take weaving, knotting, plant dyeing classes with different well-known artists at fiber studios: Textile Art Center in Brooklyn/Manhattan and Fiber Craft Studio in Spring Valley. Check out Poliana’s Instagram page here. https://www.instagram.com/atelierpoliana/
Swiss Line
Swiss Line is a Swiss skincare brand, committed to making a positive impact on the global scene by supporting organizations on the local level. As noted by their CEO Christophe Lesueur, “…we are inspired by beauty, informed by biology, and driven by values. Sustainability is a journey and we embrace it by actively improving our environmental footprint, as well as by supporting organizations who make a difference in their communities and in the wider world.”
Harney & Sons
Harney & Sons Fine Teas sources and blends only the finest teas from around the world. Today Michael and Paul Harney continue to embrace both tradition and innovation, the cornerstones of the company founded by their father, John Harney, in 1983. Offering over 300 varieties of the highest quality teas, their blends include classics like Earl Grey, signature flavors like Hot Cinnamon Spice and Paris, several varieties of Matcha, more adventurous teas like Bamboo and everything in between. No matter which tea you choose, their expertise and commitment to quality are brewed into each cup.
Maganini Winery
Maganini Winery is located in Wallkill of the Hudson River Valley. Founded by Richard & Rachel Maganini in 1983, they have sought to bring generational delicacies and robust blends of wine to their family-style European inspired property. Their speciality not only includes wine, but a weekly northern Italian cuisine six course dinner including homemade gnocchi, ravioli, cappoletti, salami, coppa, and prosciutto.
Valrhona
Valrhona has been producing the world’s finest chocolate in the small village of Tain L’Hermitage, France since 1922. From the beginning, company founder and Pastry Chef Albéric Guironnet was dedicated to the creation of unique, artisan quality chocolate with complex, balanced and consistent flavors. This mission of excellence continues as the gastronomic traditions of the renowned Rhone Valley find expression in every mouthwatering taste of Valrhona’s superb chocolate. For almost a century, Valrhona has created a range of unique and recognizable aromatic profiles by perfecting techniques for enhancing the flavor of rare cocoa beans, grown on land masterfully selected for its terroir. Today, leading Pastry Chefs and discerning gourmets rely on Valrhona’s expertise to experience the best that chocolate can be.
When you visit during Garden Holiday, your overnight package includes:
- Three meals daily featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients from our farm-to-table partners. See our full list of dining options>
- Access to more than 85 miles of scenic hiking trails
- Yoga, Meditation, and Fitness classes
- Afternoon tea and cookies in our historic Lake Lounge
- Make an appointment to visit our Greenhouse
- Indoor heated pool with underwater music
- Guided hikes and outdoor activities with our Recreation team
- Nightly evening entertainment, special events, and more! See activities schedule>
Seasonal Activities
- Access to more than 85 miles of scenic hiking trails
- Boating, fishing, and swimming on Lake Mohonk
- Guided nature hikes with stunning views of the Catskill Mountains
- Rock scrambling our iconic Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze trail
- Guided archery and tomahawk throwing sessions
- Complimentary court time on our Har-Tru and red clay tennis courts
- Complimentary greens fees on our historic 9- hole golf course
À la carte experiences available to overnight guests:
- The Carriage Lounge, featuring a full bar and handcrafted cocktails as well as hyper local draft beer and hard cider, now offering beverages to-go
- An award-winning wine list in our dining venues
- Guided rock climbing with Alpine Endeavors
- Private fitness, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness sessions
- Private tennis lessons, golf lessons, archery lessons and tomahawk throwing lessons with our pros
- Mountain bike rental to explore our single track trails
- Fishing pole rental, and bait for purchase
- Disc golf discs available for purchase (weather permitting)