Fall visitation surges across Olympic Authority's venues

LAKE PLACID | The Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority) fall lineup of events drew more than 80,000 visitors across its venues this September and October, underscoring the growing strength of fall tourism and year-round activity across the Catskills and Adirondacks. BELLEAYER MOUNTAIN FALL FESTIVAL DRAWS RECORD CROWDS In the Catskills, Belleayre's Fall Festival spanned two weekends and drew over 21,000 total visitors. Attendance peaked at 8,248 on Oct. 11, with strong turnouts across all four days. The festival celebrated Catskill culture with local artisans, food vendors, live music, and scenic gondola rides. GORE MOUNTAIN HARVEST FEST WELCOMES THOUSANDS Gore's annual Harvest Fest drew over 11,000 attendees enjoying scenic skyrides, local vendors, and family entertainment. The event continues to highlight Gore's position as a four-season mountain recreation destination. WHITEFACE MOUNTAIN OKTOBERFEST BRINGS ALPINE CELEBRATION TO THE ADIRONDACKS Whiteface's Oktoberfest welcomed more than 7,500 guests and 5,600 gondola rides across the weekend, featuring Bavarian food, music, and peak fall foliage. UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES BUILDS INTERNATIONAL MOMENTUM The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series brought elite racing back to the Olympic region, attracting 17,400 attendees over three days. Saturday's Whiteface Downhill debut drew over 8,100 spectators, the largest single-day crowd since the 1980 Winter Olympics. The event featured the world's top riders and marked a milestone for U.S. cycling as Chris Blevins became the first American since 1991 to win the overall UCI cross-country (XCO) World Cup title. FLAMING LEAVES FESTIVAL SHOWCASES SKI JUMPING TRADITION At the Olympic Jumping Complex, the Flaming Leaves Festival drew strong crowds with live music and ski jumping competitions. Attendance totaled 3,400 event tickets, 1,400 gondola rides, and nearly 100 zipline rides across the weekend. ATHLETES COMPETING AND TRAINING During a record-setting fall season, the Olympic Center alone hosted over 4,000 athletes in training and competition programs across multiple sports and welcomed more than 14,000 visitors, spectators, and conference attendees between Sept. 2 and Oct. 26. At the Olympic Center, activity included 169 figure skating sessions, 18 Skating Club of Lake Placid practices, Northwood Hockey's 36 training days and 20 tournament games, SLP Hockey training, and Henry's Kids speed skating sessions. The World Figure and Fancy Skating Championships (WFFSC) returned Oct. 8–12, bringing athletes and spectators together for a unique blend of sport and artistry. Additional fall training and competition included CAN/AM hockey tournaments, United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center high-performance programs, and athlete development in luge, ski jumping, figure skating, and speed skating — reinforcing the region's year-round Olympic legacy. Across all venues, this fall's activity reflects the Olympic Authority's continued growth as a year-round driver of recreation, events, and athletic excellence.

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Fall visitation surges across Olympic Authority's venues

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