The HelderWitches are long-beloved entertainers at the Catskills Halloween Festival & Oddities Market.
The Group
The HelderWitches (HelderWitches) are a local New York dancing-witch troupe from the Helderberg / Hilltowns area. They perform the high-energy, broom-wielding theatrical dances inspired by Germany’s Wolfshäger Hexenbrut. Costumes, synchronized choreography, playful attitude, and strong stage presence define their style. They are community entertainers rather than a coven—focused on fun, spectacle, and bringing witchy energy to public events.
Catskills Halloween Role
They are regular featured performers at the Catskills Halloween Festival & Oddities Market (also called the Catskills Free Halloween Market & Festival), held at Blackthorne Resort in East Durham, NY.
- In 2025 (the 12th Annual event) they performed on-site. The group publicly thanked organizer Jeff Mach and the festival for hosting them. Posts from their fan page and related groups document the appearance, including photos and notes about the lively atmosphere of the oddities market, steampunk elements, and Halloween crowds.
- They are returning as “dear friends” for the 13th Annual Catskills Halloween Festival & Oddities Market (October 23–25, 2026). Festival-related posts already list them among the entertainment lineup.
The festival itself is a large, free (with optional VIP) three-day event that combines a massive vendor/oddities market, steampunk and gothic elements, live music, performers, haunted attractions, and family-friendly Halloween programming. The HelderWitches fit naturally into the entertainment side—providing the dancing-witch spectacle that matches the event’s playful, alternative, autumn-people vibe.
In Short
When people talk about the HelderWitches in connection with Catskills Halloween, they mean the broom-dancing entertainers who bring high-energy witch performances to Jeff Mach’s annual festival at Blackthorne Resort. That is their established role there.
