The Government of Ontario recently announced that it will be providing $605,000 through the 2025 Experience Ontario Program to support 13 different festivals and events across the City of Hamilton.
The funding was announced by Ontario’s Minister of Sport, Neil Lumsden, who also serves as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek and Monica Ciriello, who is the MPP for Hamilton Mountain.
The funding is part of nearly $20 million in capital to support festivals and events across Ontario, with the goal of helping organizers “to expand programming and draw visitors to stay longer in local accommodations, eat in restaurants, shop at local retailers, and support main street businesses.”
The first organization receiving funds is the Country Music Association of Ontario for their annual festival, which will be held May 30 to June 1 at The Music Hall in Downtown Hamilton. They are receiving $20,000.
Next, a total of $20,000 will support the Re-enactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek held at Battlefield Park on June 7 and 8.
FrancoFEST 2025 will take place June 20 to 22 at Gage Park. They are receiving $20,000.
It’s Your Festival at Gage Park is receiving $55,000 for their event held June 28 to July 1.
Because Beer Craft Beer Festival, which will be held July 11 to 12 at Pier 4 Park in Hamilton, features performances from Down with Webster and The Sheepdogs, and will receive $55,000.
Hamilton’s Fringe Festival, held July 16 to 27, is receiving $55,000.
The Festival of Friends is receiving $55,000 for their Gage Park event held Aug. 1 to 3.
Boots in the Creek country music festival in Stoney Creek is receiving $20,000 for their event on Aug. 15 and 16.
And the 50th Annual Dundas Cactus Festival is receiving $20,000 for their event held Aug. 15 to 17 on the streets of Downtown Dundas.
The Winona Peach Festival at Winona Park will be held from Aug. 22 to 24 and is receiving $55,000.
Hamilton’s renowned Supercrawl is receiving $125,000 for their event, which will be Sept. 12 to 14 on James Street North.
Hamilton Day is receiving $55,000 for their festivities, which are held the first weekend in November.
Finally, Hamilton Winterfest, normally held in February, is receiving $55,000 for its 2026 event.
Lumsden commented, “I’m thrilled to see our government investing in some of Hamilton’s most beloved community events through the 2025 Experience Ontario program. 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.”
The Experience Ontario 2025 application period launched on November 28, 2024, with direct outreach to over 4,000 stakeholders, and closed on December 30, 2024.
Those wishing to get their festival or event on the contact list for Experience Ontario 2026 can email experienceontario@ontario.ca.
In total, Experience Ontario 2025 is supporting more than 350 festivals and events across the province.
The province says that tourism plays a “critical role” in the Ontario economy.
In 2023, visitors to Ontario spent $33 billion and supported more than 325,000 jobs.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
