Celebrate Ontario: Over 250 Festivals & Events Receive $13M+
As the tourism industry is one of the world’s fastest growing industries, events are a great way of demonstrating Ontario’s vast heritage, diversity, and culture. Each year, events and festivals taking place throughout Ontario bring in thousands of visitors, contributing millions of dollars in revenue related to tourism and helping drive the provincial economy. The Ontario government has recently awarded over 250 upcoming events with tourism grants to help them improve their programs for visitors, reach new audiences, create new jobs, and benefit local economies.
Over 250 festivals and events have received a total of $13,000,000 in government funding for tourism through the Celebrate Ontario program.
The Celebrate Ontario program offers grant funding to events, festivals, and cultural organizations that will host tourism-focused events in the province. The program makes it easier for organizers to improve and deliver new experiences that attract additional tourists from inside and outside of Ontario to increase visitor spending.
Celebrate Ontario Gives Tourism Boost to 250+ Festivals and Events
With its significant contribution of over $13 million, Celebrate Ontario is supporting over 250 events throughout the province. Some of the events that will receive Ontario government funding this year include:
Telling Tales Festival – Burlington, ON
($39,449) Tourism grants provided to the Telling Tales Festival will allow them to add a third festival day at the Royal Botanical Gardens in late September. The main events will include nature walks, readings by Canadian authors and illustrators, and additional activities for families.
Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival – Prince Edward County, ON
($10,000) The Prince Edward Country Chamber Music Festival brings top theatrical, musical, and comedic talent to Prince Edward County over two weekends in September. Funding will support efforts to attract tourists to the County to attend the festival. Organizers will also be able to provide a free outdoor concert and six chamber music concerts.
Kirkland Lake Homecoming – Kirkland Lake, ON
($39,341) Ontario government funding will help the local Festivals Committee to present and sponsor Homecoming events during Kirkland Lake’s 100th Anniversary celebrations taking place from June 22 – July 7. These include two concerts featuring Serena Ryder, free events at the Splash Park and the Skate Park, and sponsoring the Adventure Sport Park.
Celebrate Ontario: Government Funding for Tourism
Celebrate Ontario is an annual tourism funding grant that helps Ontario event organizers perform marketing initiatives and implement innovative programming improvements to enhance the quality of the event experience and increase tourist visitation and spending.
To be eligible for Celebrate Ontario funding, festivals and events must:
- Take place in Ontario;
- Be open to the general public (i.e. not require membership in a club or group); and
- Be an annual or biennial event held in Ontario.
Eligible applicant organizations must also be Ontario-based with legal status for at least one year.
The program provides up to $250,000 in Celebrate Ontario tourism grants per event.
Although the funding application period is now closed for events taking place in 2019, event organizers can begin preparing an application for next year.
Be notified when Celebrate Ontario 2020 is open for applications by registering for Mentor Works’ Government Funding Snapshot™ Newsletter.
