Latest news with #FrancoFEST
CBC
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Supercrawl and Because Beer among Hamilton festivals getting $605K boost from Ontario government
Thirteen festivals and events in Hamilton will get a boost this year with $605,000 extra from the provincial government. Well-known arts and music street festival, Supercrawl, will receive the largest grant at $125,000, said MPP Neil Lumsden, who represents Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, in a media release Tuesday. The Because Beer Festival, Winona Peach Festival and Hamilton Fringe Festival, among others, received $55,000 each. Smaller events such as FrancoFEST, the Re-enactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek and Boots in the Creek received $20,000. "These festivals and events are enjoyed by both residents and visitors, and they play an important role in strengthening our local economy – attracting tourists, supporting local businesses, and showcasing Hamilton as a dynamic cultural destination in the region," said Lumsden. The money was made available through 2025 Experience Ontario, a provincial program to help festivals and events grow and draw more visitors to the province and get them to stay longer. A total of $20 million was provided to 350 events across the province. A FrancoFEST organizer, Lanciné Koulibaly, previously told CBC Hamilton he is concerned the three-day event in June will see fewer people visiting from the U.S. because of the uncertain economy and trade war. FrancoFEST and Because Beer Festival also received federal loans announced last month. Hamilton festivals and events received the following amounts from the Ontario program: $20,000 for the Country Music Association of Ontario Festival, May 30 and June 1, venues across the city. $20,000 for the Re-enactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek, June 7-8, Battlefield House Museum and Park. $20,000 for FrancoFEST, June 20-22 at Gage Park. $55,000 for It's Your Festival, June 28-30 and July 1, Gage Park. $55,000 for Because Beer Festival, July 11-12 at Pier 4 Park. $55,000 for Hamilton Fringe Festival, July 16-27, venues across the city. $55,000 for Festival of Friends, TBD in August, Gage Park. $20,000 for Boots in the Creek 2025, Aug.15-16, downtown Stoney Creek. $20,000 for Dundas Cactus Festival, Aug. 15-17, across Dundas. $55,000 for Winona Peach Festival, Aug. 22-24 at Winona Park. $55,000 for Hamilton Day, Nov. 1-3, across the city. $50,000 for Hamilton Winterfest, dates TBD.
CBC
13-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
3 Hamilton festivals get loans from Ottawa to help in a year with tourism uncertainty
Three prominent Hamilton festivals — FrancoFEST, Because Beer, and Festitalia — are receiving loans worth $320,000 from the federal government to support their growth, attract more visitors and boost the local economy. The funding for these festivals is being provided by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of its Tourism Growth Program. The funding was announced on March 7. While the financial support will help expand the events, some of the festival organizers are worried about the impact of ongoing tariff war, including a possible decline in U.S. attendance this year. Lanciné Koulibaly is director general of Centre Francophone Hamilton which runs FrancoFEST, an event serving the local Francophone community that has been running for more than 35 years. It takes place over three days in June. Koulibaly said despite the new funding, he feels worried about the year ahead. "We are expecting some decline in U.S. attendance, especially with the current economic climate and the tariff situation," he told CBC Hamilton this week. But the funds will help, he added, and allow FrancoFEST and other local festivals to make a bigger impact, particularly in attracting new audiences locally and creating economic opportunities for Hamilton's local businesses. FrancoFEST is expecting about 6,000 people this year, he said. Because Beer expanding to Guelph Meanwhile, Tim Potocic, founder of Sonic Unyon Records which runs the Because Beer Craft Beer Festival, is hoping a favourable exchange rate of the Canadian dollar could encourage U.S. visitors. The funding will allow his team to expand the festival into Guelph, in addition to Hamilton, and to "enhance the overall experience," said Potocic, whose team also runs Supercrawl and event space Bridgeworks. Because Beer, which first launched in 2014, is expecting about 10,000 people to attend in Hamilton this year — it runs at Pier 4 Park in July — and another 3,000-5,000 in Guelph. However, Potocic emphasized, funding awarded to the festivals is not a grant but a repayable loan. The $185,000 Because Beer received has a two-year repayment plan starting in January 2027, he said. Both Potocic and Koulibaly said that their team had applied for a higher amount but are happy with what they received. FrancoFest is receiving $38,500 and Festitalia $100,000. "It's allowing us to finance an expansion at a higher level than I would have been able to on my own," Potocic said. CBC Hamilton reached out to the organizers of Festitalia, which celebrates 50 years this year during a two-expo in June, but did not receive a response before publication.
