Press release from Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau:
Grant applications due Sept. 28 for events taking place in 2022; awards announced in late October
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 20, 2021) – Organizers of local events and festivals that showcase and preserve the cultural identity of the community are invited to attend an information session to learn more about financial support available through the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Festivals and Cultural Events Support Fund.
The session will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 3:30 to 5 p.m., at the Explore Asheville offices, located at 27 College Place off of Town Mountain Road in Asheville. To register, go to: https://bit.ly/3AS0rlG or find a link on the homepage of AshevilleCVB.com. Attendees are asked to follow Buncombe County public health orders that mandate masks for all individuals in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
The deadline to apply for events taking place in 2022 is Sept. 28, with awards of $1,000 to $5,000 (not to exceed 50 percent of the total event budget) announced in late October. The number of grants awarded will be limited by available funds and monies will be disbursed following the successful completion of each event. Grantees also receive marketing assistance from Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote attendance. Find more details about the program here: https://www.ashevillecvb.com/festivals-and-cultural-events-support-fund/.
An eclectic collection of nonprofit organizations has received support since inception of the grant program in 2016, for time-honored events such as Shindig on the Green, the Sourwood Festival in Black Mountain, and the Eliada Corn Maze, and cultural celebrations like the Blue Ridge Pride Festival, Hola Asheville, and the Goombay Festival.
Funding for the Festivals and Cultural Events grant program comes from revenue earned through advertising sales and lodging reservations booked on ExploreAsheville.com. Occupancy tax revenue, which is governed by North Carolina law and paid by overnight visitors to Buncombe County, is ineligible to be used for this support fund.
The Festivals and Cultural Events Support Fund was recently relaunched following a one-year suspension due to the pandemic. During the period when the grant program was paused, the Buncombe County TDA contributed earned revenue to the One Buncombe COVID relief fund: a lead gift of $50,000 in March 2020 and a second contribution of $40,000 in January 2021.
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