Tourism grants help fund Tompkins County celebrations

As Tompkins County announces its Tourism Grant opportunities for spring 2024, one repeat recipient of the grant, the Festival of Fire and Ice, is planning to return this year on Feb. 3 from 3 to 6 p.m.

The free family event is hosted by the Ithaca Children’s Garden and includes fire performances, a hot chocolate cauldron, engaging activities with a wildlife educator, an Arctic Animal Parade, and more outdoor winter fun.

“As the sun sets, local fire dancers will illuminate the garden with an awe-inspiring show,” a press release by the Ithaca Children’s Garden states. “This event is more than just a celebration; it’s a community gathering to appreciate the charm of winter in Ithaca and the broader Finger Lakes region.”

The event first won a tourism grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program in 2013 and has been a repeat recipient of the funding in the years since, including in the fall of last year, when they were awarded $1,475. 

“The Festival of Fire and Ice is one we’ve seen apply multiple times, and they continually worked to improve the experience for visitors to give people something entertaining and interesting to do in the winter,” said Nick Helmholdt, principal planner/Tourism Program director for Tompkins County. “In my office and in the community, people always relate to the desire to have things happening when outdoor activities are less appealing due to the weather.”

Many events like this festival are made possible partially through funding awarded by the county, which offers tourism grants in three categories: Community Celebration grants, Tourism Advancement grants and Tompkins Outdoors grants.

“We are always open to new events and ideas,” Helmholdt said. “For instance, last year we had an application for a Labor Day celebration from an organization called the Midstate Council for Occupational Safety and Health. They put together an application for an event at a time of year when we didn’t have a lot of other community programing happening, and I think that was welcome and appreciated by the community.”

The tourism program likes to celebrate milestones through events as well, Helmholdt said, so organizations marking milestones are encouraged to apply.

“We had the Ithaca Youth Bureau celebrate its 75^th anniversary last year and helped fund some of the activities surrounding that,” he said.

Events funded by the Community Celebrations grants must be free and open to the public, with no ticket sales or entrance fees.

“We want the barrier to entry to be as low as possible for these events to truly reduce the restrictions that might face someone and prevent them from attending,” Helmholdt said. “We want to make sure as many people as possible can participate.”

That being said, ticketed events are eligible for the Tourism Advancement grant. The Ithaca Reggae Fest is an example of a past winner in that category. (The event is scheduled to return to Stewart Park in Ithaca June 22).

The Tourism Advancement grants can also be awarded to things like marketing campaigns, a new website, museum exhibits and art installations.

“They do not have to be focused on a single day or weekend,” Helmholdt explained. “Though many are, it is not required.”

The grants are funded through a 5% hotel occupancy tax, which is collected when people stay at Tompkins County’s hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, inns and vacation rentals.

For the spring 2024 funding round, Tompkins County is offering $22,750 with an award range of $500 to $2,500 for the Community Celebration grants, which are for local events showcasing Tompkins County’s unique culture and history.

Tourism Advancement grants are for activities, events, and marketing campaigns that attract visitors for overnight stays, and there is $91,000 up for grabs in this category, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.

Outdoor grants are for organizations managing outdoor recreation assets and offering related programming, and there is $65,000 in total funding available with awards of $19,000 or 10% of the organization’s operating budget, whichever is less. There is an eligibility questionnaire for this grant that should be completed by Jan. 26.

The Ithaca Outdoor category is relatively new. Past winners include the Finger Lakes Land Trust and Friends of Stewart Park.

“We have mostly searched out organizations that we think would be a good fit, proactively, but anyone interested who thinks they may be qualified for it, we would be happy to discuss it and figure out if it is, indeed, a good fit,” Helmholdt said.

All three grants have an application deadline of Feb. 29. Find detailed grant guidelines and application instructions online at https://tcgov.co/tourismgrants.