Winter is officially here and there are events near weekly to usher in the beginning of the season. Irish Christmas, set for December 17th, is one you don’t want to miss!

Slow down the pace during the holiday rush and take some time to remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas during Ellicottville’s annual Christmas Stroll on Saturday, December 11th.

If you find yourself in the market for new gear but not sure exactly what you want, then block December 18th off in your calendar for Demo Day at Holiday Valley, the perfect opportunity for you to see firsthand what is new and exciting in the ski and snowboard world. 

In 2017 I was first approached to write a story about Bella Bacon, a local girl who was turning into a bit of a freeride phenom. Since then, she has earned her way into star studded camps, competition tours, ski movies and a spot on the US Rookie Team.

This holiday season, support small business in and around Ellicottville. We’ve gathered some great picks for your holiday browsing pleasure.

HoliMont is expected to open for the 2021-’22 ski and snowboard season on Saturday, December 18th, and to say we are excited is an understatement! Our staff has been working hard to make this season better than ever! 

We all have an area of life ruled by Sagittarius energy in our personal birth chart. This is where we feel most abundant, where we take chances, feel expansive, really enjoy life, and maybe exaggerate.

Holiday Valley’s President, Dennis Eshbaugh announced that their 64th winter season will begin on Friday, December 3, 2021, weather permitting. Night skiing will start on Dec. 10th. 

The Ellicottville Town Planning Board agreed in a 5-1 vote Nov. 22nd to grant a special use permit for an accessory apartment above a garage near a proposed single-family home on a 5-acre lot at 2 Rogers Rd.

Due to the recent climb in COVID-19 infection rates in Cattaraugus County, the Ellicottville Town Board held its Nov. 17th monthly meeting by telephone and took steps to ramp up renovations at the Town Center.

You know what’s cool?  Doing good for your community.  You know what’s cooler?  Making “Doing Good” a habit. Last month, Sk8EVL put a “call-out for artists” and the support came in!

Who needs all the hustle and bustle and stress of spending Black Friday at the Mall when the whole family can enjoy the kickoff to the holiday season in Ellicottville?

It was Bob McCarthy who said, “I love doing Irish Christmas which is a night of Irish magic. I don’t know how the magic gets there, but it just does.”  Well, this year we need a little more of that magic to help guide our way.  

The Mad Crazy Batter Bakery in Great Valley is celebrating their first year in business. Rachael Ferguson, co-owner, told me, “Our first year open has been great! We have learned so much!”

“It seems like just yesterday I was dreaming of owning my own wine and spirits shop,” said Shannon Carscallen, owner of E-Ville Spirits & Wines. Now Carscallen is thrilled to be celebrating a milestone not many small businesses achieve.

The Franklinville-Ellicottville Titans dropped a tough 26-0 loss to the Randolph Cardinals in the Class D ‘Super Bowl’ at Highmark Stadium on November 12th.

After several months of hard work by HoliMont Board of Directors and staff, HoliMont has secured an agreement to provide ON-SITE PCR TESTING AT NO COST beginning Thursday, November 11, 2021.

Lately there is a chill in the air in Ellicottville. The first snow of the season fell on the village on November 2nd. With some help from Mother Nature, Holiday Valley plans to open for the ski and snowboard season on Friday, November 26th.

There are endless memberships out there for businesses to be a part of, all with different perks and benefits … but what exactly do you get by joining the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce? How are we different? What is it that we do? 

When skateboarding legend Tony Hawk donated his blood to be painted into 100 skateboards, he probably did not think it would play a major role in a group of Ellicottville skatepark advocates meeting a match offered by The Skatepark Project.