May 23, 2011 Highmount, NY – This Memorial Day Weekend the Belleayre Music Festival kicks off its 20th season with the annual BBQ Dinner Dance and Benefit Auction on Sunday, May 29. The evening will begin at 5pm with the silent auction viewing and a cocktail reception with wine and refreshments provided by the Board of Directors of the Belleayre Conservatory. The live auction will feature the dynamic duo of Belleayre’s own Tony Lanza and Kassie DePavia, country singer and star of One Life to Live. The auction will include original paintings, trips to San Francisco, St. Petersburg, Jackson Hole and the Dominican Republic, Broadway Theater and sports tickets (Giants/Mets), jewelry, antiques and collectibles plus priceless experiential lots. The live and silent auctions will also feature unique paintings and crafts of local Catskill artists and artisans. After the auction fun, the BBQ Dinner begins at 7:30pm which is followed by dancing into the night to the music of Special Delivery and Family. Don’t miss a great benefit for this treasured local organization. Tickets to this one-of-a-kind Memorial Day Weekend event are available for $65 for adults and $40 for children under 14 by calling 845-254-1344.

The Belleayre Music Festival has finished booking the line-up of concert dates for 2011. This eclectic Music Festival begins on July 3 featuring superstar K. D. Lang. Other feature acts include Broadway star Tommy Tune, the legendary Creedence Clearwater Revisited, country star Clint Black, the smooth sounds of Mary Chapin Carpenter and more. Stay tuned to the Belleayre Music Festival at www.belleayremusic.org for the entire festival schedule. Visit www.belleayre.com for all Belleayre Mountain event details.

The summer season will begin at the Belleayre Beach at Pine Hill Lake on Saturday, June 18. The Belleayre Beach day use area offers facility amenities such as a white-sand swimming beach, kayak and paddle boat rentals, BBQ facilities and rentable pavilion space with electricity and grills for private parties, reunions and other gatherings. The facility will be open to the public full-time from June 18 through Labor Day. 2011 is the fourth year that the Aqua School at Belleayre Beach will be selling aquatics programming for children and adults. Be sure to visit Belleayre’s website for class and specialty workshop listings; call now to make reservations because registration is limited. Eco-Adventures are scheduled on weekends throughout the summer, offering local nature activities free of charge to all guests such as making walking sticks, informative talks about nature, the Junior Naturalist Program for Kids and more. Be sure to visit www.belleayre.com for programming details on activities to take place this summer at the Belleayre Beach.

Belleayre Mountain is a year-round outdoor recreation area in the Catskill Mountains operated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The Belleayre Music Festival is a non-profit 501c3 organization that partners with Belleayre Mountain to promote art and culture in the Catskill Mountains.