TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y. — Tompkins County legislators approved the Spring 2018 tourism grants Tuesday. The grants will be used to fund local cultural events and activities.
The awards give a look at what events are on the horizon for 2018 in Tompkins County. Events like Wizarding Weekend, Ithaca Reggae Fest, the Finger Lakes International Dragon Boat Festival and other events that draw visitors to Tompkins County received funding.
“These grants allow us to dig into our past, to educate the public about our cultural inheritances, to give residents a way of understanding and enjoying local culture, and to expand contemporary local culture in ways that are informative, educational, and just plain fun,” the county said in a news release ahead of the grant application process.
Grants awarded ranged from $500 to $50,000. In total, about $485,000 was awarded this round of grants.
The grants are funded by room occupancy tax, from large hotels to small bed and breakfasts.
The grants were recommended by the county’s Strategic Tourism Planning Board and are divided into six categories — marketing and advertising; tourism project grants; new tourism initiatives; community celebration grants; tourism capital grants; and strategic tourism implementation funding. The chart below covers all the categories.
Here’s a breakdown of the grants. You can sort and search this table. For example, type in “Trumansburg” or “Ithaca Festival” to see those events.
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Featured image: File photo of Ithaca Festival