Highmount, NY – Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in the Catskill Mountains of New York will be holding its traditional Winter Festival Week the last week in January from January 21-29.

This popular winter celebration will kick off on Saturday, January 21 featuring a Kids’ Winter Carnival beginning at noon in the Discovery Lodge. Later that evening there will be kids’ pizza party in Overlook Lodge followed the annual Torchlight Parade in front of the Overlook Lodge on Yahoo. The highlight of Winter Festival Week will be the traditional $20 midweek lift tickets from January 23-27. On Friday, January 27 a Hoe Down will be staged at the Red Barn in Discovery Lodge from 4 to 8 p.m. featuring a chicken BBQ, a live band, drink specials and more.

Winter Festival Week will conclude with the 26th Snowball on Saturday, January 28 at the Overlook Lodge. This year the Guest of Honor will be the Honorable Michael A. L. Balboni, former N.Y. State Senator and Deputy Director for Public Affairs for New York State who will be presented with this year’s Spirit of the Catskills Award. The Snowball will feature music by Special Delivery with dinner catered by Main Course of New Paltz. This classic event usually sells out, so make reservations by calling (845)-254-5787 or emailing judy@shiner.org.

Belleayre will be honoring Rosina Montana and Joan Lawrence-Bauer at the 6th Annual Hall of Fame Dinner on March 31, 2012. Rosina Montana is being honored for her years of work with the Belleayre Ski Patrol and her work as a member on the board of directors on the Belleayre Conservatory which operates the Belleayre Music Festival every summer. Joan Lawrence-Bauer is being recognized for her work in the past in the Belleayre Marketing Department and her tireless community work in Catskills with the M-ARK project. Joan Lawrence-Bauer is currently Director of Communication and Resource Development with Rural Ulster Preservation Company.