BC to support events and festivals comeback with $30 million

After COVID-19 brought many events, fairs, and festivals to a screeching halt, BC is finally set to have more in-person things to do.

On Monday, December 13, the BC Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport announced that they were supporting more than 680 events across the province with funding.

Almost $30 million has been promised to support all kinds of happenings, from local performances of The SpongeBob Musical to big events like the PNE.

Happy to announce $30 million to support over 680 events in 134 communities via #FairsFestivalsAndEventsGrant! TODAY is about the thousands of people behind these events who work tirelessly to lift us up, build community, create memories. #PaddleTogether https://t.co/o3R8DRT2X8 pic.twitter.com/LGpcYBirpa

— Melanie Mark (@melaniejmark) December 13, 2021

“We’re thrilled that people can once again safely enjoy their local fairs, festivals and events with their families and friends,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport, in a release.

“We heard overwhelmingly from event organizers that grants, not loans, were key to keeping their doors open to the public and workers employed.”

The provincial government is set to provide one-time grants to organizers that can be up to “as much as 20% of the total event budget, for a maximum of $250,000.”

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Applications for the Fairs, Festivals and Events Recovery Fund grant were accepted from August 27 to October 1, 2021, and were eligible for events scheduled between July 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022.

The recipients were able to demonstrate “the economic and social benefits to the community and strong local or regional support,” according to the province.

Now, the funds will go to cover a wide range of eligible expenses, like operational costs, health and safety measures, venue rentals, marketing, wages, and promotion.