Of Fire and Ice | A Mythic Catskills Weekend
January 4 – 6, 2019

Name: Of Fire and Ice | A Mythic Catskills Weekend
Start: 2019-01-04T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2019-01-06T12:00:00-05:00
Location: Spillian

A mythic winter adventure, celebrating the extraordinary dance between the frosted Catskills and the flames of a blazing hearth. Come to the mountains, where wood smoke cuts across the sharp air of January and the forests are made of deep dreams…

Spillian is delighted to partner with Upstate Adventure Guides to invite you to come and explore the glories of the Catskills mountains in the winter, and the evocative intersections between fire and ice in feasting, stories, and imagination. This is the perfect adventure for those who’ve been curious about wandering into the mountains in the winter but not quite sure where to start, with a carefully curated moderate hike to one of the Catskills’ most magical places, the Balsam Lake Fire Tower; a fire building challenge; an imagination and body expanding movement class; as well as a chance to roast chestnuts, savor the new Spillian Cocktail, the Catskill Fire Tower, and feast throughout the weekend!

We’re thrilled to say that part of the proceeds for this weekend will support the work of our great friend and ally, Ann Roberti and the Catskill Mountain Club as they resurrect an historic fire tower on Bramley Mountain.

Of Fire and Ice at Spillian. It’s Mythic. Local. Real.

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Mythic Catskills Weekends

Spillian’s Mythic Catskills Weekends are an intersection with the essence of the Catskills: the forests, the mountains, the people, the deep stories that make this place so compelling.

Each weekend celebrates a facet of this gem-like place: its food, its fish and streams, its ringing summer, its snow-spangled winters, its flowing creative life force.

Come for a weekend of grand adventure. Feast. Explore. Hear the great stories and share your own. Revel in the mythic possibility of the Catskills and find where it sings in your life – and then bring that song back home with you.

Of Fire And Ice: A Mythic Catskills Weekend | What’s Included

Friday
Melting into Winter

6 PM Fondue!!! The perfect marriage between fire, food, and theater. Cheese fondue with local cheeses and veggies, and a to-die-for spiced chocolate fondue. And we’ll be featuring a couple of special Spillian cocktails at the bar, including the Old Fashioned Campfire…smoked, of course.
Fire wishing in the new year…we’ll be sharing our wildest imaginings and sending them out into the universe on flying wish paper.
Tales, real and mythic, about the history and lore of winter in the Catskills in front of the blazing fire.

Saturday
Of Fire and Ice Mountain Adventure & Feast

9 AM A Catskills breakfast featuring eggs from Spillian Farm’s ridiculous chickens.
10 AM A guided adventure with Will Soter, co-founder of Upstate Adventure Guides, up to the historic Balsam Fire Tower. A moderate hike, six miles round trip, on a Catskills trail to an iconic fire tower with with enormous views and a deep connection to the stewardship of the Catskills. On the way back down, Will will lead the group in harvesting some wild tinder to make a bonfire back at Spillian for a fire challenge.
A light lunch with hot soup and other munchies on the trail.
4 PM or so A chance to laze by the fire or on the porch for a bit before dinner, watching the sky change down the valley.
4:30 PM or so: A fire building challenge! Learn to make fire in the woods at Spillian’s bonfire, and then roast chestnuts. Have you ever had a chestnut roasted over an open fire? No words…
6 PM: Happy hour, Spillian style! Come and help us create a brand new cocktail invented for this gathering, in celebration of the storied fire towers of the Catskills. We’re thinking the Spillian Fire Tower will feature Union Grove Distillery‘s brand new Fir Gin and a breath of a divine smokey hot sauce with peppers roasted over an open fire from Burnett Farms…but would love your vote!
7 PM: A family-style multiple course feast from Spillian’s chef Christian Van Etten, menu coming soon, but smoke and flame and ice will be involved…
Storytelling of the history and legends of the Catskills and its colorful history with beers, ciders, and spirits.

Sunday
Bringing Fire and Ice to the World

9 AM some light breakfast treats including local yogurt and house made granola to fuel you after your adventure on Saturday and prep you for…
9:30 AM A yoga-based moving meditation practice to stretch out those winter-wanderer joints and muscles and go deep into the metaphors of place, fire, and ice with Spillian co-founder Leigh Melander, PhD. Geared to be engaging for experienced yoga lovers and first time experimenters!
11 AM A gathering around Spillian’s feasting table for a hearty mountain brunch before you head back to bring your frost and flame to the world.

The Saturday Of Fire & Ice Feast

A family style feast around our extraordinary mahogany dining table, all dressed for the season. This table is a true place of convivium, where tales are topped, ideas are birthed, and friendships created. From Spillian’s Chef Christian Van Etten, a seven course celebration of fire, ice, and the flavors of the mountains.

• Amuse Bouche – Tay Tea Catskills Harvest Frozen Lollipop

• Mixed Greens With Fire Honey Candied Walnuts, Frizzled Leeks, and award-winning Two Stones Farm cheese, with a Honey Vinaigrette

• Roasted Highland Farm Loin of Venison with a Rose Hip Brandy Reduction

• House-Smoked Beaverkill Hatchery Trout with Horseradish Cream, Dill, and Cucumber

• Potatoes Catskill, a Layered Twice-Baked Potato Mountain

• Flambéed Turnips and Rutabagas

• Smoked Mountain Berry Ice Cream Made at the Feasting Table

Pricing

Full weekend fee includes all sessions including guided hike, meals; one featured cocktail per evening; and lodging at Spillian.. Evening cash bar, tax and gratuities, and winter hiking gear not included. Click here to learn more about our splendid guest rooms!

Full Fire and Ice Weekend For One: $495
Per person, single room occupancy. Check in any time after 3 PM on Friday.

Full Find Your Holiday Spirits For a Couple: $795
For the couple, double room occupancy. Check in any time after 3 PM on Friday.

Saturday Hike, Feast & Festivities: $145 per person
(Join us for the farm wander, dinner, and tales around the fire. Please be at Spillian by 9:45 for a 10 AM departure.)

Saturday Feast & Festivities: $65 per person
(Join us for the fire challenge, chestnuts, Fire Tower cocktail, feast and festivities. Fire building challenge & chestnut roasting begins at 4:30, cocktail hour begins at 6 PM, dinner at 7 PM.)

If you’re joining us on the hike and don’t have micro spikes or snowshoes, we can provide a rental for you for $25/person. Depending on the weather, you’ll definitely need one or the other!

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About Will Soter | Upstate Adventure Guides

Will Soter is an experienced NYS licensed guide and co-founder of Upstate Adventure Guides, one of the leading guide services in the Catskills. Will is the Vice President of the New York State Outdoor Guide Association, serves on the board of the Catskill Mountain Club, is the founder of the Catskill Adventure Tourism Summit, and hosts the Great Outdoors radio show on WIOX radio. He is a Leave No Trace Master Educator, is CPR/Wilderness First Aid Certified, and has remarkable knowledge of the Catskill mountains trails, flora, fauna, and history. And he’s one of our favorite people in the world. Learn more about Upstate Adventure Guides here.

About Leigh Melander

Spillian co-founder Leigh Melander has a doctorate in cultural mythology and psychology, and an extensive background in the performing and creative arts. She’s studied, performed, and taught movement classes around the US and in Greece, Mexico, and Romania. Leigh’s moving meditation sessions are an engaging way to explore how our bodies understand place and story through yoga, pilates, and guided imagery. Leigh served for five years on the Board of Directors of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, has been published in both scholarly and popular publications on myth and story, and hosted a weekly radio show, Myth America, for three years. She guides the programming at Spillian, and offers workshops on imagination, creativity, and story here and around the US.

Jenna Gaudio

12:55 09 Sep 23

Spillian is a magical place. You see it the very first time you turn onto the grounds and drive down a long, lush road that climbs to reveal a moody Victorian estate at the top. You feel the magic in the ferns, flowers, and trees that surround the area - creating the feeling of mystical protection from the rest of the world. You know this place is magic when you meet the owners, who ooze creativity and kindness with their every word of excitement for what they do. The building is unlike any other, rich with artwork and collected items from around the world. The meadow, where people meet around the fire, get married, and dance under the stars, is clearly crafted with thoughtfulness and rarity that leaves an impression on anyone who's lucky enough to experience it.The food by Spillian's Chef was impossibly flawless meal after meal - and after being diagnosed with an autoimmune and food allergies a year before the wedding, I didn't really make it easy on him. We had a divine welcome party taco bar, a Mediterranean rehearsal dinner, a special request burrata bar at cocktail hour, fresh, local summer dishes for the wedding dinner, and a to-die-for goodbye brunch.Not only are the owners creative and kind, but they are also keen on logistics, communication, and collaboration to keep the stress down. It was forecasted to storm terribly off-an-on all weekend, but we had gone all-in on a fully outdoor wedding. They watched the weather and stayed in contact with our vendors in case we had to restructure the wedding inside, but the day of everyone felt we should make the attempt outside - and we got very lucky the weather held up! They are creative problem solvers and will go above and beyond to help make the day go smoothly. Our Wedding cake vendor fell through days before the wedding, and when I asked if they could make a watermelon wedding cake so we could still have that wedding cake moment, they made it happen - and it ended up being an incredibly memorable part of the day.Pro tips:-Definitely book it for the weekend and give yourself an extra day to walk the grounds, and sit on the porch.-It is a historic building and operates as such, including no A/C, so be aware/prepare for that. Climate change is real and it was much hotter the weekend of our wedding than was typical/expected.- Sign up for their newsletter to get updates on creative workshops, dinner parties, etc. that the owners host throughout the year. We attended a dinner party before we got married and it was so fun to meet locals and other couples who had been married there previously. It's a wonderful community that shares a deep love for Spillian and all it has to offer.

Heidi Liou

14:48 27 Aug 23

Came here for a beautiful wedding, and stayed for two nights total. The staff was amazing and incredibly nice! Highly recommend. Lots of wonderful memories were made.

15:49 25 Jun 23

Excellent service!! Beautiful venue!! Food was delicious!

Jonathan Moore

16:39 02 Jan 23

Had a chef selected four course meal and spent the night. Wonderful food, wonderful staff, and a magical stay at a unique historical venue.

nancy cottrell

22:26 13 Nov 22

Just returned from my daughter’s wedding! Wow!! It was magical! Spillian gave my daughter the wedding she always dreamed of❤️ Thank you to everyone at Spillian! Truly a wonderful place !

Roza Goltser

02:56 26 Oct 22

Magic in the mountains! That's what Spillian brings to you. If you want your wedding to be in nature it is the perfect place for you. The grounds are stunning with huge bonefire truly makes you feel like you are camping with luxury. Perfect for groom and bridal rooms to get ready on location. Not to mention the estate itself is like from a different area. It was built in the early 1880's!! Absolutely glorious!!

Julia Masotti

22:51 05 Jul 22

We were lucky enough to get married at Spillian in June of 2022, and words truly cannot describe how magical and joyful the experience was. I work in the wedding industry, so as soon as my now-husband and I got engaged, I knew we needed to tie the knot somewhere off the beaten path. We didn’t want cookie cutter, pre-planned menus, or generic banquet halls. Spillian was the first (and only!) venue we looked at- from the winding drive up the forest road to the main house, we felt the magic and we were hooked.   Mark, Leigh, and the entire staff at Spillian treat you like family from first meeting. Whenever we went up to visit, whether for tastings or for a site visit, we were greeted with the biggest hugs and smiles. We designed our menu with Chef Christian, a French-inspired feast featuring the best of all local farms, and our guests are still talking about how incredible all the food was. A wedding at Spilling is so much more than just that; it’s a weekend-long celebration with all your nearest and dearest.We stayed in the estate house from Friday to Sunday with our wedding party, and the house itself is fabulous- beautifully appointed, comfortable, and clean. We had our taco bar rehearsal dinner on Friday night, followed by a karaoke party (Mark and Leigh will really help you make whatever your dreams are happen!), our wedding in the woods on Saturday (complete with a bonfire and s’mores), and a send-off brunch on the lawn on Sunday. Mark, Leigh, and their staff are all so intuitive, quick to solve any problems we ran into and preternaturally able to anticipate any problems before they even arose.   I could go on and on about how wonderful this place is, but you get the idea. It’s truly magic, and Spillian will forever hold such a special place in our hearts.

Jennifer Sauer

20:01 24 Jul 21

Yeah, what they said! Spillian is a perfect venue for weddings, family and friend celebrations, or just to visit for a special event. The mansion is absolutely amazing with antiques and stories in every room and corner. The grounds truly are a beautiful and peaceful nature-filled feast for the eyes and imagination. The hosts are inviting, fun and funny, and super attentive to your needs, comfort and questions and I made it a point to chat with staff when possible and all were delightful and helpful. After a great visit, the hosts pointed me to a great hiking trail in Catskills. Many thanks for a memorable weekend!