Tompkins County Legislature approves more than $175K in tourism grants for free events
The investment aims to enhance the county's cultural offerings, outdoor activities, and overall appeal to visitors.
Fully funded by the Hotel Room Occupancy Tax Law, the grants create a 'positive feedback loop,' according to a Wednesday statement from the officials behind the Tompkins County Tourism Program.
By supporting local events and initiatives, the program makes Tompkins County a more desirable destination for visitors and in turn, those visitors support the local economy by spending money at restaurants, shops, and hotels, creating jobs and generating tax revenue that benefits the entire community, they said.
For more information on upcoming local events, visit https://www.visitithaca.com/events/event-calendar/.
A total of $23,950 was awarded to 19 organizations for events that celebrate the county's culture and history. These grants support free, public events throughout the year, including the following.
Ithaca Commons Performance Pop-ups (Sidewalk Showcase) by Ithaca Downtown Business Improvement District, Inc. (April 18-Oct. 17, 2025)
Celebrating Nordic American Traditions by Finger Lakes Finns (May 18-Sept. 21, 2025)
Lansing Car Show by Lansing Events Committee (June 1-Sept. 6, 2025)
Community Mural Celebrating Inclusion and Refugee Solidarity by Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (June 1-Sept. 30, 2025)
Finger Lakes Food Culture Mural Celebration by Shared Kitchen Ithaca (June 1-Sept. 13, 2025)
Ithaca Pride Festival by Tompkins Chamber Foundation (June 14-15, 2025)
Love Your Lake Community Paddle Summer Series by Discover Cayuga Lake (June 17-Sept. 16, 2025)
International Mud Day by Ithaca Children's Garden (June 28, 2025)
4th of July Weekend -- Free Carousel Rides by Friends of Stewart Park, Inc. (July 4-6, 2025)
Outdoor Summer Concert by Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts (July 12, 2025)
Latino Civic Association Annual Picnic (Aug. 16, 2025)
Celebrating Unions and Strengthening Our Community -- Annual Labor Day Picnic by Tompkins County Workers' Center (Sept. 1, 2025)
Tompkins County Airport Day & Preparedness Expo by Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (Sept. 13, 2025)
Harvest Festival by Enfield Community Council, Inc. (Sept. 20, 2025)
Porchfest by WSKG Public Telecommunications Council (Sept. 21, 2025)
Newfield Old Home Days by Town of Newfield (Sept. 26-27, 2025)
Homestead Heritage Fair Day 2025 by Dryden Town Historical Society (Sept. 27, 2025)
Spooky Science by Sciencenter (Oct. 26, 2025)
Winterfest by Village of Trumansburg (Dec. 6, 2025)
Grant awards totaling $98,980 were allocated to support 13 organizations funding projects and marketing campaigns designed to attract visitors to Tompkins County.
Notable recipients include:
Sciencenter for "Exploring the Ocean: New Coral Reef and Mangrove Exhibits" (April 15-Dec. 31, 2025)
Ithaca Children's Garden for "Interpreting Nature for Children & Families" (April 20-Oct. 30, 2025)
Triphammer Arts for "Summer Concert Festival 2025" (May 1-Sept. 30, 2025)
The Cherry Arts for "Cherry Artspace Exterior Beautification and Improved Geographic Reach, Phase 2" (May 1-May 30, 2025)
Finger Lakes Curling Club for "2025 Finger Lakes Icebreaker Bonspiel" (May 31, 2025)
Tea Leaves, Inc. for "Ithaca Reggae Fest" (June 20-22, 2025)
Special Olympics New York for "2025 Special Olympics NYS Summer Games" (June 20-June 22, 2025)
Ithaca Shakespeare Company, Inc. for "2025 Summer Shakespeare Festival" (July 17-27, 2025)
Northeast Mycological Federation (NEMF) for "NEMF Women in Mycology Foray 2025" (Sept. 18-Sept. 21, 2025)
Ithaca Downtown Business Improvement District, Inc. for "Celebrating the 43rd Annual Downtown Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival" (Sept. 26-Sept. 28, 2025)
Khuba International for "Farming for Freedom Trail" (Oct. 4-Nov. 5, 2025)
The History Center for "FLAG CON 2025" (Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2025)
Triphammer Arts for "Winter Village Music Camp 2026" (Jan. 8-Jan. 11, 2026)
Three organizations have received a total of $53,000 through the Tompkins Outdoors grant program:
Discover Cayuga Lake ($15,000)
Finger Lakes Land Trust ($19,000)
Friends of Stewart Park ($19,000)
This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Tompkins County Legislature approves more than $175K in tourism grants
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