Events Celebrate Diversity in New York State
For the first time ever, a weekend of winter wonders was made available last year for LGBTQ+ residents, allies, and travelers. The 2024 Pride Ski Weekend at Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills was a giant success.
This year not one but two big events are offered in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, providing three days of winter fun, entertainment, and festivities in the splendor of New York State’s great outdoors.
NYS Pride Ski Weekend 2025 is back at Belleayre February 7 through 9, and an all-new event, the Adirondack Winter Pride Weekend, is coming to Lake Placid March 7 through 9. Both are inclusive winter weekends offering a wide range of activities designed to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community.
While these 2025 events build on the success of last year’s success, neither would be possible without the collaboration and support of partners. The NYS Pride Ski Weekend at Belleayre is officially hosted by the Pride Center of the Capital Region, Big Gay Hudson Valley, and Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center in partnership with Ulster County Tourism & Office of Film, SKI NY, I LOVE NY LGBTQ, and our own Belleayre Mountain. Similarly, the Adirondack Winter Pride Weekend in Lake Placid is officially hosted by the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance (ANCGA) in partnership with I LOVE NY, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), and our Olympic Authority’s Legacy Venues.
In addition to special reduced-rates for lift tickets for skiing and snowboarding, this year’s events are both including on-mountain and off-mountain events, ensuring genuinely inclusive weekends that offer something for everyone. At Belleayre, a “Snow Your Pride Celebration” will have attendees participating in a special pride glide down the mountain at 1:00 pm on Saturday as well as apres-ski events that include live music inside their Discovery Lodge. The Lake Placid event will feature apres-ski music and dancing in the Cloudspin Bar and Grill while also offering everyone registered a special edition Lake Placid Legacy Site Winter Passport that provides entry and activities at all the four venues, including free admission to the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Championships.
Just down the road from Belleayre in Kingston, NY, a Welcome Party with a DJ, a Saturday night drag performance, special events at LGBTQ+ owned shops, bars, and restaurants, and even a Sunday brunch are all part of the off-mountain offerings. The Lake Placid organizers are hosting a welcome party, too, at the downtown Conference Center in addition to available cross-country skiing, gondola rides, an indoor ice skating party, and a chance to explore the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. Additionally, the IBSF World Championships provides numerous on-site activities in addition to trackside access to see the best sliding sport athletes in the world racing down a mile-long icy track at speeds of 80 mph or more.
Many more details of these events and the activities offered are available at these links:
Adirondack Winter Pride Weekend
Both winter pride events support the LGBTQ+ community while providing opportunities for fun, excitement, and joy within that community. They also strengthen businesses and organizations that serve LGBTQ+ people.