Event Tourism Grant Program

The Event Tourism Grant Program is an annual funding program for festivals, events and sporting events that are considered tourism drivers, and provide an economic spin-off for the community via visitor spending and overnight stays.

Event priorities

• Events that take place throughout the year are eligible.
• Events that promote the 3 pillars of Bracebridge’s tourism brand, which include Taste, Create, and Live.
• Sport tourism events.
• Events that target audiences largely from out of Town and that have a regional, provincial, national, or international scope.

General criteria:

• Events must take place in Bracebridge.
• Consideration will be given to events that assist the Town in achieving its various event tourism goals and provide corporate and tourism branding recognition opportunities.
  
• The Festival and Event Strategy Goals include:
  
• Build a stronger downtown 
• Create a vibrant and diverse arts community 
• Create partnerships within the community
• Increase spending in the community 
• Expand the season (both high and low season events) 
• Encourage return visits to the community 
• Encourage development of volunteers/staff (i.e. event planning courses) 
• Develop resources to assist those planning events in the community (permit process reviews, handbook, insurance issues); 
• Keep municipal and other facilities “full/utilized”;
• Provide the best economic impact possible in the community;
• Further support sport tourism initiatives;
• Encourage events to become financially sustainable;
• Enhance visitation in the traditional off-season; and
• Align with the Bracebridge tourism brand. 

For new events, funds can be used to assist with encouraging event participation and pre/post event tourism; or to build/purchase minor pieces of equipment required to host the inaugural event, as well as any future events.

Existing events must be undergoing substantial change (e.g., new venue location), adding new significant components (e.g., new entertainment) to the event, or must demonstrate that they are using the Town's financial assistance to leverage funding opportunities from larger funding programs (e.g. federal or provincial).