Area music festival, wine event awarded state tourism grants | Arts And Entertainment

STRASBURG — A Warren County music festival and a Shenandoah County wine event were among the grant recipients announced on Dec. 26 through Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Special Events & Festivals Sponsorship Program.

The Appaloosa Festival, held annually over Labor Day Weekend at Skyline Ranch Resort, will receive $10,000 in funding through the program. Shenandoah Caverns in Quicksburg will receive $5,000 for its Shenandoah Wine Weekend event, slated for Nov. 7-8, 2025.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the distributions as part of more than $812,139 in matching grant funds that will be awarded to 81 special events and festivals in 2025.

The program is designed to leverage local marketing and event production dollars with matching state funds to increase overnight visitation, improve the visitor experience, and increase traveler spending at Virginia special events and festivals.

Local partners will contribute more than $4.8 million in private-public sector funds to match the VTC funding, providing more than $5.62 million in new marketing and event production activity, according to a news release.

“Special events and festivals are vital to Virginia’s thriving visitor economy, supporting our musicians, artisans, hotels, and restaurants. This year’s grant recipients have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to growing their event footprint, increasing visitation, and enhancing the visitor experience in 2025,” said Youngkin. “By leveraging these funds, we aim to attract even more visitors, showcase the unique charm of our communities, and reinforce Virginia’s reputation as a premier destination for memorable events and festivals.”

The release explains that using the hub and spoke tourism model to create multi-day itineraries, four Virginia entities — cities, towns, counties, destination marketing organizations, restaurants, museums, attractions, and other tourism-related businesses — partnered financially to apply for funding.

“With the special event or festival as the main lure, the program is designed to encourage visitors to extend their stay to experience Virginia Main Streets, boutique shopping, unique restaurants, and historic sites creating significant economic impact driven by the special event or festival,” the press release notes.

Nearby, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester is set to receive $20,000 through the program, while the Shenandoah National Park Trust will receive $2,500 for its Art in the Park program.

VTC will have additional grant and sponsorship rounds opening throughout 2025. Organizations and businesses that are interested in applying may visit vatc.org/grants for more information.