HIGHMOUNT, New York ??” Belleayre Mountain celebrates the season with Winter Festival Week, January 21st – 29th, 2006. Bring the family to enjoy fun-filled events, highlighted by $10 lift tickets Monday through Friday, January 23rd – 27th. Surrounding communities bring added excitement to the week with evening revelries.

The festivities kick off with the Kids’ Winter Carnival on Saturday, January 21st. Children will delight in free carnival games, lots of prizes, a challenging obstacle course and clowns at the Discovery Lodge at Belleayre Mountain between 1 – 4 pm. The fun continues at 4:30 pm in the Overlook Lodge with a free pizza party for kids and entertainment by Karla the Kartoon, followed by the beauty of the a torchlight parade at 5:30 pm.

Taste the culinary delights of twelve of the region’s finest restaurants at the third annual Taste of the Town on Monday, January 23rd. Brought to us by the Belleayre Region Lodging and Tourism Association, tickets are available by calling 800-431-4555 or by visiting the Lodging Information desk at the Overlook Lodge. Tickets for Taste of the Town are $35 per person or $60 per couple, and pre-purchase is recommended due to the popularity of the event. Doors open at 6:30 pm in the Discovery Lodge.

This is the week to take your vacation at Belleayre Mountain, with lift tickets just $10 Monday – Friday, January 23rd – 27th. The trails are in great shape, but the fun doesn’t end on the slopes. Sunday, January 22nd, the village of Margaretville will offer an ice skating party with free skate rentals, snowshoe, snowboarding and dog sled demonstrations, sled rides and a bonfire between 2-6 pm at the Village Ball Park. Shake off cabin fever on Tuesday night at the Pine Hill Community Center with the live music of Bob Grimm, former member of the Four Seasons. Just a $5 donation will get you in the door, with kids ages 18 & under free of charge. Wednesday night is Fleischmanns’ turn, followed by Thursday night in Andes, and Phoenicia rounding out the week with Phat Phriday.

Saturday, January 28th is the Commissioner’s Cup, a free fun race for kids. Trophies will be awarded for the top three in each age category and everyone gets a Nastar medal. Saturday night is the twentieth annual Snowball Dinner & Dance hosted by the Coalition for Belleayre to benefit the Belleayre Music Festival. The Spirit of the Catskills Award will be presented to Ward D. Todd. To make reservations for this black-tie optional affair, contact chairperson Judy Shiner at 845-254-5787. And to complete the week of fun, the Sitour Winterfest 2006 returns to Belleayre Mountain on Sunday, January 29th, bringing great giveaways, contests and prizes a DJ and much more.

For more information on all the events during Winter Festival Week at Belleayre Mountain, call 845-254-5600 or check out the website, www.belleayre.com.