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Ontario Supporting Cultural Tourism in Burlington and Hamilton

May 20, 2026

Ontario Supporting Cultural Tourism in Burlington and Hamilton

Investment will help six cultural organizations to create jobs and build stronger communities

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Burlington and Hamilton – The Ontario government, through the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF), is supporting growth and sustainability in cultural tourism across Burlington and Hamilton with a combined investment of $100,000 supporting six events.

Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP for Oakville North – Burlington and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism Culture and Gaming, announced today the first-ever recipients of OCAF and Incite Foundation for the Arts Fund Matching Pilot Program.

Through the partnership, the Incite Foundation will match $50,000 in OCAF funding, bringing the total investment to $100,000 to support events across Burlington and Hamilton.

The following six organizations will receive funding through the pilot partnership to develop, promote and present cultural events:

  • $15,000 to Aeris Körper Contemporary Dance, for the “Here&Now Dance Festival”, taking place June 5 to 7, 2026;
  • $15,000 for “AfroJazz Fest 2026”, taking place July 11 and 12, 2026, at Bayfront Park in Hamilton;
  • $10,000 to Centre3 for Artistic and Social Practice (Centre4Arts), for the “Centre[4]Arts Public Launch & Supercrawl 2026 Accessible Production Partnership”, taking place June 1 to September 30;
  • $10,000 has been approved to Halton Equity Diversity Roundtable, located in your riding, for “Pride in Equity”, taking place on June 19, 2026, at the Art Gallery of Burlington in Burlington;
  • $40,000  to Hamilton Festival Theatre Company, for the “2026 Hamilton Fringe Festival”, taking place from July 15 to July 26, 2026; and
  • $10,000 to WeDoes Heritage Association, for the “2026 Burlington Latino Festival”, taking place June 26 to June 28, 2026.

“Through a combined investment of $100,000 from the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and the Incite Foundation for the Arts, our government is helping six outstanding organizations in Burlington and Hamilton grow local tourism, strengthen our arts and culture sector, and create memorable experiences for residents and visitors alike,” said Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP for Oakville North-Burlington and the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming. “These investments will help showcase the incredible diversity, creativity and talent that make our region such a vibrant cultural destination. By partnering with the Incite Foundation, our government is supporting local jobs, boost economic activity and celebrate the unique cultural identity of Hamilton and Burlington.”

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s overall investment of $6 million into OCAF over three years.

“Arts and culture organizations across Ontario enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike by providing vital marketing support to one-of-a-kind events that proudly showcase the best that our province has to offer,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “This investment will help bring these projects to life, while boosting local business, creating jobs and enabling audiences of all ages to experience unique, made-in-Ontario programming that will create lifelong memories.”

Every year, OCAF supports cultural tourism events and attractions across Ontario that offer distinct and diverse programming for residents and visitors. OCAF funds are provided as partially repayable loans, enabling the government to support a broader range of new attractions and special events. Due to the repayment portion of the investment, every $1 that the Ontario government invests translates into $1.67 that is invested directly into the cultural tourism sector.

RECIPIENT QUOTES
“The marketing support from OCAF and the Incite Foundation has been absolutely critical for the Burlington Latino Festival 2026. This funding not only allows us to expand our promotional reach to new audiences, but it also provides the institutional credibility needed to secure vital private-sector sponsorships and generate earned revenue. Thanks to this investment, we can deliver a high-quality cultural celebration that directly boosts our local economy and connects our community.” – David Marino, President & CEO, WeDoes Heritage Association

“As Centre[3] for Artistic + Social Practice moves through an exciting rebrand and expansion into Centre[4] Arts, this marketing support is incredibly meaningful to our organization and community. For disability-led and community-based arts organizations, marketing funding is not simply about promotion, it is about visibility, sustainability, and creating pathways for connection. This support allows us to strengthen public awareness around accessible arts practices, expand our reach to new audiences and collaborators, and build stronger relationships with private sector and community partners….It supports not only our rebrand, but our long-term vision of building a more inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable arts ecosystem.” – Yvonne Felix, Executive Director, Centre[3] for Artistic + Social Practice

“OCAF and incite Foundation’s investment in Hamilton Fringe Festival’s marketing spend has been critical in building new audiences and ensuring future sustainability. The return on investment is obvious, driving a $3.5M induced visitor spend, allowing us to explore cross-promotional campaigns with other Ontario festivals, and helping us deepen private-sector partnerships — all while building new audiences for the hundreds of regional artists we platform each summer.” – Christopher Stanton, Executive Director, Hamilton Fringe Festival

“We are incredibly excited and grateful for OCAF’s support of Pride in Equity. This funding is critical in helping us strengthen the marketing and promotion of this event, allowing us to reach wider audiences and increase community awareness and engagement. With this investment, we can grow the event from a small community-based initiative into a more prominent and meaningful part of Burlington’s Pride celebrations. This support will help ensure more people know about the event, feel invited to participate, and can come together to celebrate 2SLGBTQ+ communities in an inclusive and welcoming space.” – Daven Seebarran, Executive Director, Halton Equity Diversity Roundtable

“The marketing support provided through OCAF and the Incite Foundation is essential to the growth of Hamilton AfroJazz FEST 2026. This funding will help us expand our outreach through radio advertising, roadside mobile signage, community newspapers, digital campaigns, and updates to the festival page on our website, helping attract more visitors and increase earned revenues through ticket sales, vendors, sponsorships and private-sector participation.” – Franklin Weledji, Executive Director, Centre canadien pour l’unité de la famille (CCF)

QUICK FACTS

  • Since 199, OCAF has supported nearly 1,100 events, festivals and exhibitions across Ontario, which have attracted over 95 million attendees.
  • OCAF provides support to a broad range of cultural tourism events, from large art and music festivals to smaller events that celebrate local Ontario culture and heritage.
  • Since its inception, the OCAF has supported more than 1,000 events, festivals, and exhibitions across Ontario—attracting over 91 million attendees.
  • In 2025–26 alone, a $2 million investment, combined with repayments from past participants, generated $3.4 million in marketing funding for 85 cultural tourism.
  • Since 2011, the Incite Foundation for the Arts has invested more than $11 million in over 50 arts organizations across the greater Hamilton area.
  • This groundbreaking partnership represents the first collaboration of its kind between the two organizations, united in their commitment to bolster funding support for the Hamilton and Burlington regions.
  • The Incite Foundation for the Arts was founded by Carl Turkstra (1936 – 2022) and his wife Kate (1936 – 2023) in 2011 as a non-profit organization dedicated to revolutionizing support for the arts in the greater Hamilton area. In addition to providing funding to arts organizations, a founding goal of the Foundation is to incite members of the community to build a vibrant cultural life.


Additional Resources

  • OCAF continues to accept applications for new events and offers applicants flexibility regarding project timing and scope. Please visit the OCAF website for more information on the organization and to view a full list of recipients.

Contact
Katie Robinette, Executive Assistant
Office of Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP (Oakville North-Burlington), Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Gaming, and Deputy Speaker
Katie.robinette@pc.ola.org