LAKE PLACID, N.Y. --- Lake Placid, N.Y. has a well-deserved reputation for world-class alpine skiing, but it also has some of the best Nordic skiing in the United States.  The Lake Placid region has plenty to offer Nordic skiers and winter enthusiasts of all ages and abilities with its vast array of groomed and set to its backcountry trails.  So whether you’re a beginner skier or an experienced racer, the place to be February 27-March 1, 2015 is in Lake Placid for its first-ever Nordic Festival.

Throughout the three-day festival there will be ski, waxing and Orienteering clinics, demonstrations, dinners and parties, discounts on demos, rentals and merchandise, sales and touring to include headlamp tours on Mirror Lake and the Cascade Cross Country Ski Center.  And it will all culminate, Sunday, March 1, at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cross Country Ski Center with the running of the 33^rd annual Lake Placid Loppet.  

The Lake Placid Loppet has established itself as one of the best events of its kind in the country. Over the past 32 years, thousands of skiers have enjoyed skiing and racing on the challenging Mt. Van Hoevenberg trails.   As a member of the American Ski Marathon Series, this event attracts hundreds of skiers from across the United States and Canada. It consists of a 50 kilometer Loppet (30.1 miles) and a 25-kilometer Kort Loppet (about 15 miles).

On-line registration for the Lake Placid Loppet and Kort Loppet is available by logging onto http://www.active.com/lake-placid-ny/winter-sports/skiing-races/lake-placid-nordic-weekend-lake-placid-loppet-2015?int=. Sign up before Jan. 1, 2105 and the cost is $99 and includes a festival pass and event t-shirt. Sign up between Jan. 2 and Feb. 25 and the cost is $125.

The Nordic Festival gets underway, Friday, Feb. 27, with the annual St. Lawrence University Winter Carnival races. Then on Saturday, skiers of all abilities and ages, along with Loppet and Kort Loppet racers, who might want to warm up for Sunday’s race, can all participate in a 12.5K event at Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

Racers can enter the 12.5K race by visiting http://www.active.com/lake-placid-ny/running/distance-running-races/lake-placid-nordic-weekend-12-5km-race-2015?int=. The entry fee for this event is $50 and includes a Nordic Festival t-shirt if registered before Jan. 1. If racers have already signed up for the Loppet and Kort Loppet the price is just $25.

For more information on the Lake Placid Nordic festival, visit http://www.whiteface.com/events/lake-placid-loppet. Tickets for the festival are just $25.

Season passes for the 2014-’15 cross country ski season at Mt. Van Hoevenberg are on sale now. Adult season passes are $170.00 through Dec. 1, while teen and senior passes are $135. The junior pass is being sold for only $95 and the 70 and older 2014-’15 season pass is just $50. And children six and under can enjoy world-class Nordic skiing for free.

For more information about all of the events and activities on ORDA’s Olympic venues, log onto www.whitefacelakeplacid.com.

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.