Every Toronto festival that received provincial government support in 2019
FEATURED ON THE LISTED GUIDE
Torotonians celebrated the Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s 52nd year this past weekend, taking in another dose of the great festivities that grace this fine city year-round.
General admission tickets ranged from $15 to $25, but if you wanted the VIP treatment, the price spiked up. Much of the accessibility of these festivals as well as their funding is made easier with government support. And Carnival benefited from this support, having received $250,000 from the government towards its 2019 celebrations.
Formerly Caribana, the Caribbean Carnival is just one of the many festivals benefitting in Toronto, as is noted in a 20-page report outlining the grants the government has shelled out for each festival in Ontario this year.
The report shows the funding numbers from the Celebrate Ontario 2019 program. The program “supports programming improvements at new and existing festivals that attract tourists for longer stays, create great experiences for visitors and support communities across Ontario,” according to the main website.
Those applying fall into two categories with $1 million being the benchmark in deciding additional financial requirements needed to be approved. Income statements and balance sheets are required and depending on the tier (under $1 million or over $1 million) applicants will need to file with the appropriate contacts.
The deadline to apply for the Celebrate 2019 program was January 19. Applicants were notified of their funding status in spring 2019.
Fifty-one Toronto festivals and events received government funding for this year. Cities like Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener and Mississauga each received funding for seven or eight festivals—a stark contrast to Toronto’s robust roster.
For 2019, the most awarded to any festival was $250,000, which went towards attractive events like Pride Toronto, the RBC Canada Open (Hamilton), the Ever After Music Festival (Kitchener), the Shaw Festival via Niagara on the Lake, the Escapade Music Festival (Ottawa), and the International Plow Match & Rural Expo held in West Nipissing, Ont.
Other Toronto festivals reaping bigger grants included arts and culture favourites like Nuit Blanche and Luminato. Rising tech events in Toronto like Elevate received $150,000, which is a good chunk of change, too.
The Joseph Brant Day Festival in Burlington received the smallest portion of funding among the bunch, pulling in $1,003, while the least amount provided for a festival in Toronto was $3,000, which went to Future Fan Fest. Among the festivals also receiving smaller fractions of funding included the Comedy Country 2019 event in Prince Edward County, which received $4,533, and the Stonebridge Wasaga Beach Blues Festival, which received a grant of $1,700.
In Toronto, these festivals were the recipients of the 2019 festival season support, which starts roughly around April and runs to October. And, of course, you can always just check back here, too, to get the lowdown on happenings in the city.
April 2019
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
Government grant: $154,750
Festival dates: April 25 – May 1
May 2019
Government grant: $203,018
Festival dates: May 1 – May 31
Future Fan Fest (website not connected at time of publishing)
Government grant: $3,000
Festival dates: May 4 – May 5
Canadian Music Week (CMW)
Government grant: $150,000
Festival dates: May 6 – May 12
Government grant: $169,000
Festival dates: May 10 – May 12
Government grant: $46,320
Festival date: May 20
SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival 2019
Government grant: $27,083
Festival dates: May 24 -June 2
June 2019
Pride Month and Festival Weekend
Government grant: $250,000
Festival dates: June 1 – June 30
Toronto Outdoor Picture Show 2019
Government grant: $20,750
Festival dates: June 2 – August 29
Government grant: $20,931
Festival dates: June 5 – June 8
Government grant: $81, 665
Festival dates: June 7 – June 10
Government grant: $250,000
Festival dates: June 7 – June 23
2019 Italian Contemporary Film Festival
Government grant: $61,025
Festival dates: June 13 – June 21
Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival
Government grant: $34,875
Festival dates: June 15 – June 16
Government grant: $250,000
Festival dates: June 21 – June 30
Aga Khan Museum & Small World Music Summer Celebration
Government grant: $63,900
Festival dates: June 28 – September 2
July 2019
Government grant: $100,000
Festival dates: June 29 – July 1
Government grant: $77,000
Festival dates: July 3 – July 14
Government grant: $66, 243
Festival dates: July 4 – September 1
Government grant: $28,750
Festival dates: July 5 – July 7
Government grant: $25,834
Festival dates: July 5 – July 7
Beaches International Jazz Festival
Government grant: $100,000
Festival dates: July 5 – July 28
TD Salsa on St. Clair Street Festival
Government grant: $100,000
Festival dates: July 6 – July 7
Government grant: $9,454
Festival dates: July 7
Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana)
Government grant: $250,000
Festival dates: July 9 – August 4
Government grant: $226, 750
Festival dates: July 12 – July 14
Government grant: $58, 334
Festival dates: July 20 – July 21
Government grant: $24, 795
Festival dates: July 25 – August 4
Government grant: $114, 163
Festival dates: July 25 – July 28
August 2019
International Jerk Food & Music Festival
Government grant: $88, 922
Festival dates: August 9 – August 11
Government grant: $98, 500
Festival dates: August 9 – August 11
2019 Mulan International Film Festival
Government grant: $11, 500
Festival dates: August 10 – August 17
Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)
Government grant: $198, 825
Festival dates: August 16 – September 2
Government grant: $18,000
Festival dates: August 16 – August 25
Government grant: $25,000
Festival dates: August 16 – August 18
Government grant: $36,000
Festival dates: August 23 – August 24
Government grant: $40, 046
Festival dates: August 23 – August 24
September 2019
Government grant: $12,078
Festival date: September 7
Great White North Dragon Boat Challenge
Government grant: $19,500
Festival dates: September 7 – September 8
Government grant: $75,000
Festival dates: September 13 – September 15
Government grant: $45, 465
Festival dates: September 14 – September 15
Government grant: $250,000
Festival dates: September 15 – October 14
JFL42 – Toronto’s Comedy Festival
Government grant: ($250,000)
Festival dates: September 19 – September 29
Government grant: $17, 750
Festival dates: September 20 – September 23
Government grant: $150,000
Festival dates: September 20 – September 26
The Word On The Street Toronto
Government grant: $74,000
Festival dates: September 21 – September 22
October 2019
Government grant: $250, 000
Festival dates: September 25 – October 6
Government grant: $126, 853
Festival dates: October 2 – October 6
Government grant: $11, 748
Festival dates: October 12 – October 14
20th imagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival
Government grant: $100,000
Festival dates: October 22 – October 27
For 2020, the two entries that have received funding thus far are the Toronto Light Festival, which received $76, 250 and the Nowruz Festival secured $63, 114.
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