Press release from Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau:
ASHEVILLE, NC (September 28, 2016) – The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) voted today to provide $50,500 in grants to support 14 community festivals and events.
Utilizing discretionary advertising revenue from the ExploreAsheville.com website, BCTDA developed a Festivals and Cultural Events Support Fund in early 2016. The new grant program is a mechanism to foster festivals and cultural events that serve Buncombe County residents as well as visitors to the area. The primary purposes of this fund are:
- To support and preserve cultural identity within Buncombe County
- To stimulate the creation of new or expansion of existing tourism Events
- To help events grow
With the redesign of the ExploreAsheville.com, ACVB had an opportunity to introduce an advertising element that provided a new, unrestricted revenue source to assist in the development and support of events that enrich the community. BCTDA and the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) will continue to provide marketing assistance to events and festivals, helping promote them to a wider audience and stimulate attendance. More information about the program is available on AshevilleCVB.com.
Each year, Buncombe County welcomes 3.3 million overnight guests, providing a customer base that assists in the sustainability of businesses in the community and contributes to tax revenues. Annually, tourism generates a $2.6 billion economic impact to the region.
Festivals and Cultural Events Support Fund
~ Grant Recipients for 2017 Event Funding ~
Applicant Event Award Asheville Downtown Association Independence Day Celebration $5,000.00
Asheville Music School (fiscal agent) Asheville BARNAROO $5,000.00
Blue Ridge Pride Center Blue Ridge Pride Festival $5,000.00
LEAF Community Arts LEAF Downtown AVL $5,000.00
Southern Highland Craft Guild 70th Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands $5,000.00
YMI Cultural Center (fiscal agent) The Goombay Festival $5,000.00
North Carolina Arboretum Monarch Butterfly Day $3,000.00
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) Farm Tour $3,000.00
Asheville Area Arts Council (fiscal agent) Asheville Art in the Park $3,000.00
Odyssey Community School (fiscal agent) Asheville Percussion Festival $3,000.00
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center {Re}HAPPENING $3,000.00
Friends of Connect Buncombe (fiscal agent) Cycle to Farm @ Sandy Mush $2,000.00
Montford Neighborhood Association Montford Music & Arts Festival $2,000.00
Friends of the Vance Birthplace Appalachian Heritage Festival $1,500.00
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