Bay State Winter Games Return to the Berkshires in 2026

January 15, 2026

Bay State Winter Games Return to the Berkshires in 2026

The 2026 Bay State Winter Games will return to the Berkshires, with events scheduled across the region between February and March. This will be the 38th year that Winter Games events have been held in the Berkshires.

“Since 1985, Bay State Games has been proud to bring our Winter Games to Berkshire County so that participants from across Massachusetts and surrounding New England states can experience the unprecedented beauty, hospitality and recreational opportunities that the region has to offer,” said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. ”We are excited to return in 2026 as we bring back alpine skiing after a decade long absence, look to expand our masters ice hockey event, and bring over 300 figure skaters to the region from across New England.”

Bay State Games events are expected to attract athletes and their families from over 125 Massachusetts communities as well as surrounding New England states, bringing an economic boost to the region. "We are delighted to welcome the Bay State Games figure skaters to Williamstown on February 14–15, 2026, and we hope our community and spirit make it a truly memorable and successful competition for all" said Sue Briggs, Executive Director of the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce.

The Games will open with Figure Skating on February 14–15 at the Lansing Chapman Rink at Williams College in Williamstown, MA. The two-day event will include over 20 hours of skating events with participants ranging from age 5 to 58. Skaters include Learn to Skate participants up to some of the top U.S. Figure Skating levels.

Bay State Winter Games events are open to the entire Berkshire Region community. All competition events are open to spectators free of charge. On Saturday evening, February 14, at the Williams College Lansing Chapman Skating Rink, the Bay State Skate figure skating show will feature top medal winning skaters from Bay State Games events earlier in the day. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. This event is open to the general public with admission at the door of $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The schedule continues March 6–8 with the Masters Ice Hockey Tournament at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink in North Adams. The three day tournament will feature eight teams including four teams in Over 40 and Over 60 divisions.

The Games will celebrate the return of Alpine Skiing on Sunday, March 15, at Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield. This will be the first time Alpine Skiing has been included in the Winter Games in more than a decade. Alpine Skiing was included in the very first Bay State Winter Games in 1985. Past participants include Krista Schmidinger and Kim Jochl (Schmidinger) who began their careers skiing at Bousquet. The two run giant slalom event will include divisions for skiers age 8 to 60+.

“Bousquet is pleased to be a part of bringing back the Alpine Ski Bay State Games to Massachusetts, and serving as host of the event. The Bay State Winter Games has a rich history in the state of being a premier sporting event for sports like Figure Skating, Hockey, and Curling and we’re excited to once again add Alpine Skiing to that list,” Said Brian Seminara, Co-Race Director of Bosquet Mountain.

The Winter Games will also include events in Central Massachusetts with Curling, scheduled to take place at the Blackstone Valley IcePlex in Hopedale on March 28-29 in partnership with the Blackstone Valley Curling Club. The curling competition will feature 16 teams from across Massachusetts and New England.

Additional information, including event updates and registration details, is available at www.baystategames.org/winter-sports.

About the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation/Bay State Games

The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 1982 to host the first sanctioned state games of the Commonwealth. It operates with the mission of promoting personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship to Massachusetts citizens of all ages and abilities. The Foundation is recognized for hosting high quality, Olympic-style events through the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, as well as educational programs, including the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, and the High School Ambassador Program.

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Bay State Games Announces 2025 Future Leaders Scholarship Recipients

November 18, 2025

The Bay State Games has selected six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2025 Future Leaders Scholarship Program. These student-athletes were selected from a large applicant pool after a process that included committee reviews of all applications and virtual interviews with selected applicants. These future leaders were selected based on their achievements and involvement in academics, community service, athletics, and leadership roles. The Bay State Games Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1989 and has since distributed nearly $400,000 in financial aid. Each of these high school seniors will receive a $1,000 scholarship for their first year of college. “Bay State Games is proud to continue the Future Leaders Scholarship program which since 1989 has provided over $400,000 in aid to support the continuing education of outstanding young leaders." said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. “These well deserving student-athletes have excelled in the classroom, on the field and in the community, representing a variety of schools, sports and regions across Massachusetts” This year’s six scholarship recipients are Elyse Bissada, Brooke Blahut, Abigail Howie, Olivia Laaper, Sabina Mackechnie, Molly McIntyre. Elyse Bissada is a senior at Dover-Sherborn High School, where she is a four-year varsity field hockey and track & field athlete, as well as the team captain for both sports. In 2025, Elyse was a member of the Bay State Games Southeast field hockey team where she won a gold medal. Elyse is the founder of the Veterinary Medicine Club at her school and in her free time volunteers at local farms and Animal Rescue Leagues across the state. Elyse has committed to play field hockey and study biology at Hamilton College, where she plans to pursue veterinary medicine and ultimately establish an affordable low-cost clinic that serves her community. Brooke Blahut is a senior at North Quincy High School where she is a 4-year varsity member of the soccer team, and captain of the varsity ice hockey team. Brooke is also a well accomplished figure skater. She began skating at age 2 at Winterland Skating School and is now a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist. Brooke has participated in Bay State Games annually since 2016, medaled 6 times, and is a 4-year Bay State Games High School Ambassador. Brooke is also the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Ambassador for NQHS. Brooke is Vice President of her class, a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society and academically ranks in the top 5% of her class with a 4.6 GPA. Brooke is a two-time team leader and participant in the FBI Teen Leadership Academy and plans to pursue her master’s in forensic science and criminology and become an FBI Special Agent. Abigail Howie is a senior at Wilmington High School, where she is on the varsity soccer team and is captain of the Winter and Spring Track teams. Abigail serves as President of Student Council and the Wildcat Service Council, where she founded the “Bridging Generations” community initiative. She is a member of the National Honor Society, DECA, and Best Buddies. Abigail coaches a Wilmington fourth-grade team and is a USSF-certified soccer referee. She has most recently created an Alzheimer's Awareness community service project for her senior year. She hopes to continue her athletic career in college while studying sports management and marketing. Olivia Laaper resides in Stow and is a senior at Fusion Academy in Burlington. Laaper has been a captain of multiple high school sports teams including Track & Field and Swimming. Olivia is captain of her archery team at Riverside Archers and has won multiple medals in archery at Bay State Games and state competitions. Beyond athletics, Olivia has gained hands-on experience in emergency medicine as a high school intern with Pro EMS and plans to take her EMT certification this fall. She gives back to her community by lifeguarding and coaching youth swimming at Goldfish Swim School, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and at local food banks. In college, Olivia plans to pursue a degree in nursing with a minor in emergency medicine and psychology. Sabina Mackechnie is a senior at East Longmeadow High School where she is a three sport athlete and captain in Soccer, Basketball and Lacrosse. She has earned all-league and second-team All-Western Mass honors in soccer and lacrosse. Sabina has been a By State Games Ambassador for two years and is a member of her school's Athletic Leadership Council and Pink Ribbon Club. Sabina participates in canned food drives and fundraisers for her school sports teams. Sabina will continue her lacrosse career at Springfield College while pursuing a degree in Education. Molly McIntyre is a senior at Norton High School where she is a three-sport captain in cross country, basketball, and outdoor track, earning multiple TVL All-Star honors, and MVP awards. Molly serves in key leadership roles on Student Council, DECA, Best Buddies, and five National Honor Societies. She volunteers at local youth sports programs, community events, and the MSG Gregory Trent Foundation. Molly works part-time at a donut shop and local ice cream store. She plans on attending Stonehill College where she will compete in track and study Finance and Marketing. For more information on the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, click here. For a list of past recipients and the colleges and universities they've attended, click here . About the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation/Bay State Games The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 1982 to host the first sanctioned state games of the Commonwealth. It operates with the mission of promoting personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship to Massachusetts citizens of all ages and abilities. The Foundation is recognized for hosting high quality, Olympic-style events through the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, as well as educational programs, including the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, and the High School Ambassador Program.