Each year, the Winter Games have featured the Bay State Skate Figure Skating Show. Featured sports include figure skating, curling, masters ice hockey, and futsal. The Winter Games are usually held in the months of January, February, and March in the Northern Berkshire region of Massachusetts. Masters ice hockey, youth ice hockey, speed skating, ski orienteering, snowboarding, sled dog racing, and cross country skiing were added into the competitions as the Winter Games became more successful. Figure skating is the only sport to be included in every Winter Games. Four hundred athletes took part in the 1985 Winter Games with competitions including figure skating, alpine skiing, cross country skiing and speed skating. The Winter Games took place in the Northern Berkshire region because of the facilities available to them. That same year, Arnot developed the idea of creating a winter sports festival for Massachusetts athletes. Basketball became the Game’s showcase event in both women's and men’s divisions. The Games’ breakthrough year came in 1985. Peter Thomsen (1992-1996), Charlie Noonan (1996-1998), Linda Driscoll (1998-1999), and Kevin Cummings (1999-present) have all served as executive director. “Sportsfest” started off with only four sports with 500 athletes. McGillvary appointed Doug Arnot to pitch the idea of “Sportsfest” to the commonwealth of Massachusetts and to become the executive director (1982-1992). He wanted to create a statewide summer sports festival for Massachusetts.
McGillvary was on the Governor’s Council of Physical Fitness and Sports. The Bay State Games was founded by Dave McGillvary in 1982. Each year, the Bay State Games has over 1,000 volunteer including coaches, referees, and medical staff. Over 6,000 Massachusetts residents ranging in age from 6 to 86 participate in these programs each year.
The Bay State Games’ mission is to promote personal development, education, health, physical fitness, teamwork and sportsmanship through recreational and educational programs. This non-profit organization is a member of the National Congress of State Games, associated with the United States Olympic Committee and its Affiliated Organization Council. The Bay State Games is one of the largest amateur multi-sports organizations in the state of Massachusetts. Age and skill divisions have been created to allow medal opportunities for a broad range of athletes. Each sport is organized according to national governing body rules. From a modest beginning of four sports and 300 athletes, the Games have grown to include almost 6,000 athletes in 35 different sports from more than 300 Massachusetts cities and towns.
In 2020, the Bay State Winter Games enjoyed its 35th year. In 2019, the Bay State Summer Games celebrated its 38th anniversary. The MASF is a member of the National Congress of State Games, which comprises 35 states nationwide that conduct State Games events. The MASF operates statewide and year-round to promote personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, sportsmanship, and mutual respect. The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation (MASF), organizer of the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, provides Olympic-style athletic competitions and developmental programs for Massachusetts amateur athletes of all ages and abilities.