FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2019 FOR MORE INFORMATION Carrie GentileROOST Communications Coordinatorcgentile@roostadk.com518-523-2445 Jon LundinORDA Director of Communicationsjlundin@orda.org518-523-1655 The Empire State Winter Games bring a festival atmosphere to Lake Placid Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Public invited to opening ceremonies Jan. 31 LAKE PLACID, N.Y. - The 39th running of the Empire State Winter Games, presented by Community Bank and supported by I LOVE NY, will bring the spirit and excitement of traditional and adventure winter sports competition back to the North Country and Adirondack regions of New York state. From Jan. 31 - Feb. 3, over 2,300 athletes of all ages from across the state and beyond are expected to participate in more than 30 sports, giving these amateur athletes the chance to compete on a world-class stage. The opening ceremony on Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. is free and open to the public, and will be held in the Herb Brooks Arena in the Lake Placid Olympic Center. A live performance by the high-flying aerial and acrobatic duo, Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion of the circus-inspired theatrical act Nimble Arts, will entertain the audience and set the tone for the ESWG as not only a competition but a celebration. The arena will begin to glow as all of the athletes’ parade in wearing LED bracelets that are timed to the music, a new addition to this year’s event. Spoiler alert: one bracelet will turn a different color than the rest. The wearer of that bracelet will be given the honor of lighting the cauldron, signifying the opening of the Games. Olympic ski jumper Nick Farrell is the keynote speaker and Lake Placid Mayor Craig Randall will welcome the athletes. As the headquarters for the Games, Lake Placid will once again welcome the public to the ESWG Village, which was relocated to Mid’s Park on Main Street, drawing crowds to the heart of Lake Placid’s downtown district. The family-friendly village is open Friday and Saturday from noon - 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Award ceremonies will be held there daily, along with free hot chocolate, s’mores, music, and games. After the resounding success of last year’s torch relay, organizers announced this year’s version is expanded and will now include two routes — one beginning in Buffalo and one from New York City — that will meet in Malone, thus uniting the state of New York before traveling together to the opening ceremony. More about the ESWG The Empire State Winter Games is a community-driven event, courtesy of a partnership between the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST); the towns of North Elba, Wilmington, Tupper Lake, Harrietstown, Malone, and Brighton; the villages of Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Paul Smiths, Malone, Wilmington, and Saranac Lake; the counties of Essex and Franklin; the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority, and New York State Senator Betty Little. Sport venues are located in Lake Placid, Wilmington, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Malone, and Paul Smiths. Venues include: Lake Placid Olympic Center Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid Olympic Jumping and Sliding complexes, Mid's Park in Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain, Paul Smith's College, Paul Smith's College VIC, Saranac Lake Civic Center Ice Rink, Dewey Mountain Recreation Area, Tupper Lake Memorial Civic Center, Olympic Cross Country and Biathlon Center, Titus Mountain, and Mount Pisgah. For more information, visit EmpireStateWinterGames.com.

For immediate release Malone's Franklin County Fairgrounds on tap for East Coast Snocross, presented by Woody's Traction and FXR Malone, NY — After a few years away, the sights and sounds of snocross racing are returning to Upstate New York. East Coast Snocross (ECS) will present two days of high-flying action at the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10. Spectator gates open at 10 a.m. each day. Tickets are $12 per day for adults or $20 for a weekend pass. Children age 7 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Pit passes for those wanting an up-close look at the teams as they work on their machines are available for an extra $10. Leading the charge into Malone is pro rider Mike Pilotte. The Team Southside Polaris racer from Fall River, Mass., won the first six finals this season and says he's having more fun than ever in 2019. He'll have to fend off hard chargers like Dylan Roes (D&D Racing/Arctic Cat), a successful grass drag racer who is starting to turn some heads in snocross. Some of the riders to watch in the Pro Lite class include Dalton Jacquier, Adam Ashline, Adam Levi and Wade Acker. Jacquier and Acker already have a pair of wins each in 2019, while Ashline notched his first career Pro Lite victory in Warrensburg, NY, in early February. Other riders to watch in Pro Lite include Tucker Kierstead (D&D Racing/Arctic Cat) and Ryan Dupont (Team Southside/Polaris). All of these young athletes will be contenders in Malone. Along with a full slate of racing in pro and pro lite, the Malone event will also include some good battles in the sport, women and junior divisions. It takes support classes to fill out any card of racing, and the East Coast Snocross series is blessed with strong participation across the board. This event will also feature a Trail Stock class for those looking to give snocross a try for the first time. Aggressive trail riders with a desire to compete can test their skills in a safe environment. The weekend will also include races for children ages 6 to 10 riding 120cc machines on a separate, smaller track. This is where future stars of the sport learn what racing is all about. Malone is known as the gateway to the Adirondacks, and for good reason. Malone is a great destination for snowmobiling, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, shopping and dining. It's a busy town with lots to offer, including the Titus Mountain Family Ski Center. To plan your trip to this northern New York gem, go to www.visitmalone.com. The East Coast Snocross series, presented by Woody's Traction and FXR, is an ISR-affiliated sanctioning body for snowmobile racing in the northeastern United States. ECS maintains a regional circuit intended to keep grassroots snocross racing healthy in this part of the country, while also cultivating new talent for tomorrow's factory-backed national pro teams. For more information, please go to www.eastcoastsnocross.com. ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE contact: Carrie Gentile, communications coordinatorRegional Office of Sustainable Tourismdirect: 518.621.3665 or 518.523.2445 ext. 123 Tupper Lake, NY — This village’s annual Brew-Ski returns this Saturday, Feb. 23, and participants can expect plenty of fresh snow this year. With a several-inch base and more expected before Saturday, the James C. Frenette Sr. Recreational Trails, located at the Tupper Lake Golf Course, will provide participants an optimal Brew-Ski experience.For $10, embark on a craft-beer-and-skiing tour and glide along the growing network of groomed trails, stopping along the way to sample the region’s best brews. The 2019 Tupper Lake Brew-Ski will highlight eight local breweries that will be serving their craft beers along the one-and-a-half miles of beautifully maintained ski trails at the Tupper Lake Golf Course. Kids 12 and under are free. Breweries will bring their hops to the snow at several tasting stations along the trails, pouring samples as skiers and snow showers gather and mingle at fire pits along the way.The event will include the following North Country and Adirondack breweries: Raquette River Brewing, Big Tupper Brewing; Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, Big Slide Brewery and Public House, Blue Line Brewery, Oval Craft Brewing, Valcour Brewing Company, and Great Adirondack Brewing Company. High Peaks Cyclery will be on site with free ski and snowshoe rentals, as well as fat tire bikes. MAC’s Safe Ride will operate from noon-4 p.m. to provide transportation to participants.This year, there will be more kid-friendly activities including a hot chocolate bar, The Wild Center pass giveaways, an adjacent sledding hill, and kids’ ski and snowshoe rentals.Also occurring simultaneously is the Fire & Ice Golf Tournament from noon-4 p.m on the golf course. Three-person teams will play two rounds at the five-hole course. The cost is $60 per team with the proceeds benefiting the Lion’s Club community projects.###

Sugar shacks, breweries, and restaurants celebrate maple syrup season March, 2019 Adirondacks, USA - The cold nights and warming days of March trigger sap flows and maple sugaring season throughout the Adirondacks. That means it’s time to celebrate spring’s sweetest by-product, maple syrup, with local maple-infused cuisine, sugar house tours, workshops and samples of freshly made syrup as restaurants and breweries cook and brew with maple syrup. With New York holding the title of the second largest producer of maple syrup in the United States — and the Adirondacks accounting for nearly one-third of the state's production — there are plenty of sugar houses and restaurants to visit, especially during the two designated New York Maple Weekends, March 23-24 and 30-31. Below is a sampling of events occurring in March in the Adirondacks: - Stop by Friend’s Maple Farm in Burke during the Maple Weekends and enjoy a free wagon ride through their sugarbush to see where the sap is collected. Take a look inside the sugarhouse and learn about the process of converting sap to maple syrup. Friend’s offers a variety of maple products including candies, coated nuts, cotton candy, syrup and maple cream. - The Wild Center in Tupper Lake is hosting several maple themed programs and crafts, sugar shack tours, maple specials and pancakes at the Waterside Cafe, and a taste of freshly made syrup right out of the pan. - Titus Mountain Family Ski Center is combining two events for its Maple Fest and Vintage Snowmobile Show, including maple margaritas, pancakes and restaurant specials, sugar on snow and maple cotton candy, all made with syrup from their own sugarbush. While you’re there, stop by the second annual Vintage Snowmobile Show on March 24. - In the Lake Placid region, Black Rooster Maple will open its doors to their newly built sugar house and give samples of maple cream and bourbon-barrel-aged syrup. The Lake Placid Pub & Brewery is brewing its signature UBU Ale with maple syrup! - Speculator is hosting a MapleFest with sugar shack tours, pancake breakfasts, Irish road bowling and a pond skimming contest at Oak Mountain, followed by live music. - A list of all sugar shacks in the area participating in the Maple Weekends can be found here. http://www.nysmaple.com/nys-maple-weekend/. ###

Contact: Carrie Gentile, communications coordinatorRegional Office of Sustainable Tourismdirect: 518.621.3665 or 518.523.2445 ext. 123 TITUS MOUNTAIN IN UPSTATE NY NAMED #2 BEST OVERALL RESORT IN NORTH AMERICAMalone, NY, Adirondacks, USA - Titus Mountain Family Ski Center debuts as the #2 best overall resort in North America in Liftopia’s 2018/19 Best in Snow awards announced today. It also earned the #1 resort for beginners in North America, the #2 most family-friendly resort and #3 best value resort in North America. These accolades are preceded by Titus’s earning the top family-friendly ski area in North America in last season’s Best in Snow awards.Overall, Titus Mountain made the top three in 11 national and regional (Northeast) categories. Voters consistently applaud its “great grooming” and note there are “always chairs available,” with a “perfect slope for beginners” and an “over-the-top family friendly” atmosphere.The Best in Snow awards by Liftopia, the largest online market for lift tickets and mountain activities, is based on the feedback from thousands of skiers and snowboarders. It takes into account more than just the number of votes, but also the number of votes in relation to the size of the resort and visitors. This levels the playing field between large and small resorts and uncovers the true top ski areas across North America, based on what matters most to consumers."We are always striving to keep our customers happy by offering affordable skiing, family and beginner friendly amenities, and top-notch snow conditions" said Bruce Monette, co-owner of Titus Mountain Family Ski Center."The 2,025-foot summit mountain is home to 50 trails and glades over three inter-connected mountains accessed by 10 lifts, as well as a two lane tubing hill. Located in Malone, NY, it is just an hour south of Montreal, two hours from Ottawa, three hours from Albany, and about 5 1/2 hours from the New York City metro area.As the name implies, Titus is big on being beginner and family friendly.“We make skiing with kids easier by offering plenty of easily-accessible beginner and intermediate terrain, an advantageous resort layout with short distances from the parking lot to the slopes, and ski-in and ski-out lodging,” said Monette.Through its unique “4-1-1” program, thousands of area students have learned to ski for free at Titus Mountain. Participating fourth graders in Titus’s "Intro to Ski" school program receive a free season pass and access to rentals for the rest of the season. The students also receive a voucher for one lift ticket and rental for a parent or guardian to use so they can show them what they learned.And at Titus, newbies don't have to worry about getting on the wrong lift because all of them access easy trails. There are also three terrain parks, one of which is considered forever wild and never gets groomed. The "Best Kept Secret" program allows their ski school to create programs centered around skiers' needs, rather than making them fit their needs into a pre-made program.Titus offers a multi-lane tubing park with a ride back to the top via a chairlift. Both the tubing area and ski trails are open days and evenings. Titus also has some built-in advantages, such as easy commutes from major cities with little or no traffic and short lift lines.Best in Snow Awards MethodologyMethodology: Liftopia has the largest ski activity marketing and distribution platform with a comprehensive and unbiased overview of the ski industry. To compile the 2019 Best In Snow Awards, Powered by Liftopia, some 8,000 consumers were surveyed to measure their enthusiasm on specific aspects of their favorite resorts such as challenging terrain, crowds, family friendliness, snow consistency and overall quality. Respondents took into consideration criteria such as snow quality and conditions, grooming, accessibility, terrain variety and difficulty, vertical drop, learn to ski and snowboard programs, staff and instructors, resort size, crowds and lift lines, accessibility of lifts and beginner terrain, off-slope activities, the surrounding community, and cost of lift tickets, rentals and programs, among others. The responses were weighted with a proprietary algorithm based on Liftopia’s exclusive dataset that includes skier and snowboarder visits annually, acreage, uphill capacity and average true cost of skiing, to surface the best ski areas overall and across seven categories and five regions. Given all factors and categories, final results were calculated based on what matters most to skiers and snowboarders.###