NEWSLETTER
LGBTQ+ Community Invited to Three-Day Event at Belleayre Mountain in The Catskills
Highmount, N.Y. – New York State Pride Ski Weekend is returning in a big way February 7 - 9 for three days of skiing, snowboarding, entertainment, and festivities in the splendor of the Catskills for LGBTQ+ residents, allies, and travelers.
Hosted by the Pride Center of the Capital Region, Big Gay Hudson Valley, and Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center in partnership with Belleayre Mountain, Ulster County Tourism & Office of Film, SKI NY, the Olympic Authority, and I LOVE NY LGBTQ, this second annual NYS Pride Ski Weekend supports the LGBTQ+ community with an inclusive event offering something for everyone.
Building on the success of the first-ever New York Pride Ski Weekend in 2024, which welcomed over 150 queer community members, this year’s event promises to be even more fun and exciting by featuring three days of events both on and off the mountain.
Activities at Belleayre Mountain include:
- Special lift ticket packages for skiing & snowboarding. Belleayre's extensive trail system provides excellent conditions and ideal terrain for all skill levels. Special lift ticket rates of $75 and rental packages are available online.
- 'Snow' Your Pride Celebration. Attendees are encouraged to show their Pride with a special pride glide down the mountain at 1:00 pm Saturday.
- Group ski lessons. For those new to skiing and snowboarding, weekend packages offer alternatives for lessons as well as friendly and inclusive group sessions, all designed to boost participants’ enjoyment and sharpen their skills.
- Après-ski events. Inside Belleayre’s newly expanded Discovery Lodge, guests can warm up with live music and cocktails in a fun social atmosphere.
After-Hours Fun in nearby Kingston includes:
- Welcome Party: Kick off New York State Pride Ski Weekend with NYC’s Urban Bear and Big Gay Hudson Valley at Kingston’s über cozy Stockade Tavern with beats by Kingston’s-own DJ Tommi Calamari.
- Saturday night entertainment. Following a great day on the slopes, everyone is invited to gather with the queer community for a special night with drag star, Paige Turner, at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston.
- Dine-Around: The weekend offers opportunities to explore Kingston’s LGBTQ+ owned and allied bars and restaurants, many offering special events for NYS Pride Ski Weekend 2025 guests.
- Sunday Brunch: The weekend’s non-skiing activities wrap up with a special brunch at Hotel Kinsley in Kingston.
Belleayre Mountain is a scenic Catskills family destination with 61 trails, featuring long cruisers, bumps, glades, steeps, and parks with 96% snowmaking coverage and including terrain for everyone from beginners to experts. Access to all parts of the mountain is easy with eight different lifts that include the region’s only gondola. Plus, it’s all within just a 2.5-hour drive from New York City.
In addition to outdoor winter fun, a wide array of entertaining alternatives awaits those eager to explore the surrounding communities, including the City of Kingston with its range of LGBTQ+ owned and allied shops, restaurants and bars in its Uptown, Midtown and Rondout Districts. Within a short drive of Belleayre Mountain are other quaint little communities, including Roxbury, Big Indian, Phoenicia, and Mt. Tremper. All of them are ready for participants to discover, and all are ready to welcome the LGBTQ+ community.
The Pride Center of the Capital Region’s Executive Director Nathaniel Gray said, “The Pride Center of the Capital Region is excited to join again with some amazing local and state partners to bring this important visibility to Belleayre Mountain and to create space for LGBTQ New Yorkers, in every part of the state to gather and support each other.”
I LOVE NY Executive Director of Tourism Ross D. Levi said, “With more ski areas than any state in the nation, New York is a snow lover’s paradise. Early in January last year, LGBTQ+ skiers, snowboarders and their friends gathered at Belleayre Mountain for its inaugural Pride Ski Weekend. Thanks to Ulster County Tourism, the Olympic Authority and other contributing partners, the second annual event packs even more winter fun, with three days of activities from a welcome party to a dine-around, Sunday brunch and apres-ski festivities. I LOVE NY looks forward to promoting the weekend as the latest example of how easy it is to love New York and the Catskills region throughout the winter season.”
Belleayre Mountain General Manager Bruce Transue said, “This winter we are celebrating our 75th Anniversary at Belleayre. We’ve been here since the very beginning of skiing in this country and are home not only to New York State’s first chair lift but also still have the only gondola in the Catskills. Last year, we had the honor of hosting the state’s first ever Pride Ski Weekend, and this year we’re especially excited about bringing back this inclusive gathering as an integral part of our season-long anniversary celebration.”
Ulster County Tourism & Office of Film Director Lisa Berger said, Ulster County is proud to partner with the Pride Center of the Capital Region; Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center and Big Gay Hudson Valley on this weekend long event. Ulster County is diverse, inclusive and welcoming of all. We look forward to lots of fun on and off the snow.”
Events like New York State Pride Ski Weekend are vital for ensuring queer visibility and strengthening businesses and organizations that serve LGBTQ+ people. Proceeds from the event will benefit the LGBTQ+ serving organizations involved, directly supporting the essential work they do in communities throughout New York State.
To make it all even easier to enjoy, New York State Pride Ski Weekend is easily accessed via public transportation from Manhattan. Pride Ski Weekend guests can take the Adirondack Trailways Bus or Amtrak from New York City to Kingston or Rhinecliff, respectively, with Ulster County offering free shuttle bus service between select host hotels in the City of Kingston to Belleayre Mountain. For more about getting to Kingston via public transportation, visit this link.
Registration and other event details are available at this Ulster County Tourism webpage.
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About The Pride Center of the Capital Region
The Pride Center of the Capital Region is the oldest continuously operating LGBTQ community center in the country. Located at 332 Hudson Avenue in Albany, the Pride Center serves LGBTQ+ people of all ages, racial backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders across nine counties. For more information: www.capitalpridecenter.org or (518) 462-6138.
Media Contact: Nathaniel Gray | all pronouns, Executive Director, Pride Center of the Capital Region, ngray@capitalpridecenter.org, 518 462-6138, ext. 1001