ENHANCING FESTIVALS AND EVENTS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS ONTARIO

 

 

 

CELEBRATE ONTARIO 2009

 

Ontario is investing $11 million in 224 festivals and events across the province, including 29 new first-year festivals and events.

 

Festivals and events bring new visitors to communities and strengthen local economies. Funding for the Celebrate Ontario 2009 program is supporting more than double the number of events that were assisted last year.

 

Celebrate Ontario supports festivals and events of all sizes; smaller community events, emerging events that attract regional visitors, and signature events that attract out-of-province tourists. Through Celebrate Ontario festivals and events are eligible for up to $400,000 in funding.

 

Celebrate Ontario was launched in 2006 and provided more than $4 million to expand 57 festivals and events in 2007/08. Celebrate Ontario 2008 provided $10 million to help expand and create 90 festivals and events across Ontario in 2008/09. Since 2007, the McGuinty government has invested a total of $25 million in festivals and events across the province.

 

See the full list of Celebrate Ontario 2009 recipients. 

 

Success story examples from 2008:

 

• The 2008 Ottawa Bluesfest shattered attendance records, drawing about 300,000 people over 11 days. The direct economic impact to the region from out-of-town-visitors was estimated at $6.75 million. Last year, funding from Celebrate Ontario enabled the Bluesfest to increase and improve their concert series.

• The Elora Festival attracted sell-out crowds for world renowned opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and overall ticket sales for all events went up by 25 per cent.

• Attendance at the Lanark Highlands “Art of Being Green” Festival was up 64 per cent last year and just about every bed and breakfast within half an hour of the venue was fully occupied during the July festival.

 

 

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Contacts:
Lisa DiLollo, Minister’s Office, 416-325-4543.
Mark Thompson, Communications Branch, (416) 325-8391

 

• news release