Guelph Tourism is excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 funding programs. Together with Destination Marketing Guelph, strategic investments were made in the tourism industry enhancing Guelph’s tourism offerings to position the Guelph as a must-see visitor destination. Congratulations to the grant award recipients of 2025.
Destination Animation Fund Award Recommendations
The Destination Animation Fund is intended to encourage tourism product development to increase Guelph’s destination attractiveness. Applicants may receive up to $5,000 with a 10 per cent matching contribution requirement.
| Organization name | Proposed project |
|---|---|
| Hillside Community Festival | Utilized funds to present “Indigenous Voices” programming at the Hillside Festival, showcasing Indigenous artists and cultural narratives. |
| The Guelph Jazz Festival | Leveraged funds to implement key upgrades to the Jazz Festival, enhancing audience experience and production quality. |
| Downtown Guelph Business Association | Utilized funds to support placemaking lighting infrastructure for the “Spirit of the Season” initiative, creating a vibrant and festive downtown atmosphere. |
| Guelph Youth Music Group | Leveraged funds to expand Knightfest programming, offering the event outdoors at Goldies Mill. |
| Guelph and District Multicultural Festival | Utilized funds to improve festival wayfinding, making the event more navigable for attendees. |
| The Good Games Festival Inc. | Leveraged funds to support The Good Games community festival, promoting inclusive gaming, esports, and interactive entertainment. |
| Guelph Disc Golf | Utilized funds for disc golf course upgrades at Victoria Valley Golf Course, enhancing recreational infrastructure and tourism appeal. |
| Flow States Bike Co. (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Utilized funds to launch a high-performance bike rental program. |
| Guelph.Beer (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Leveraged funds to support Guelph.Beer Bus, offering additional shuttles connecting six local breweries. |
| Wellington Brewery (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Utilized funds to host FORTY, a two-day celebration of Wellington Brewery’s 40th anniversary. The event featured themed sessions like ’80s Bash, Craft Beer Carnivale, and Boots and Brews, plus beer Olympics, live music, food trucks, and brewery tours. |
| Royal City Brewery (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Leveraged funds for a Guelph’s only Oktoberfest celebration with Bavarian food, seasonal beers, live music, and games. |
| Gain Music (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Leveraged funds to host GAIN Fest 2025, a multi-day celebration of music and arts held at various locations throughout the City. |
| Spring Mill Distillery | Utilized funds to host the John Sleeman and Sons Festival of Spirits, celebrating the launch of their Single Malt Whisky. The event included tastings, masterclasses, cocktails, food vendors, live music, and tours at the historic distillery site. |
| The Wooly Pub (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Leveraged funds to host GAIN Fest 2025, a multi-day celebration of music and arts held at various locations throughout the City. |
| Urbex Walking Tours (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Used funds to present Supernatural Sundays, a monthly mini Para-Con at The Albion Hotel. Activities include ghost hunts, seances, storytelling, spirit board crafting, and workshops led by local historians and mediums. |
| The Ward Night Market (Awarded by Destination Marketing Guelph) | Utilized funds to host a vibrant street-closure night market featuring 25+ vendors, live music, food, and community engagement. The initiative supports 2SQTBIPOC+ entrepreneurs and fosters inclusive placemaking through MYLKSHAKE’s social enterprise model. |
Marketing Material Development Fund (Gaps and Needs) Award Recommendations
The Gaps and Needs Fund supports targeted programming to address gaps in the tourism industry based on recommendations from the Tourism Advisory Community and staff engagement with tourism operators. The fund is intended to support the creation of new and accessible physical and digital marketing materials to help tourism operators steward the Guelph story in a cohesive and impactful manner.
| Organization name | Project |
|---|---|
| Sleeman Brewery for Guelph.Beer | Awarded funds to support the production of a wayfinding and safe driving promotional video, enhancing visitor navigation and safety while exploring Guelph’s craft beer scene. |
| Hillside Community Festival | Awarded funds to develop a marketing campaign including podcasts, amplifying the festival’s reach and storytelling through digital media. |
| The Modern Bride | Awarded funds for lookbook photography to showcase local bridal fashion and elevate Guelph’s profile as a wedding destination. |
| The Ward Night Market | Awarded funds for event photography and videography, capturing the vibrancy of this evening market for promotional advertising. |
| Guelph and District Multicultural Festival | Awarded funds to cover marketing design costs and placement fees, promoting cultural diversity and inclusion through targeted outreach. |
| Taste Detours | Awarded funds to upgrade marketing materials including design, print, and photography, enhancing the visibility of culinary tourism experiences in Guelph. |
| Kanoo Coffee | Awarded funds for business photography to build a content inventory that supports digital marketing and brand storytelling. |
| Guelph Dance | Awarded funds for event wayfinding signage and an information tent, improving visitor experience at Dance Fest. |
| Ontario Public Interest Research Group | Awarded funds for the design and printing of a tour information booklet, supporting educational and activist tourism initiatives. |
| Urbex Walking Tours | Awarded funds for rack card printing costs to promote urban exploration and heritage walking tours. |
| Downtown Guelph Business Association | Awarded funds for the creation of Pawports and window decals for businesses to elevate participation at the annual Dog Promenade. |
Gather Here Sponsorship Fund Award Recommendations
The Gather Here Sponsorship Fund supports the attraction of larger-scale events in Guelph such as conferences, sporting events, and festivals. Successful applicants will demonstrate high rates of visitor attraction, overnight stays, and the ability to increase Guelph’s brand awareness.
| Organization | Event |
|---|---|
| Waterfront Regeneration Trust | Guelph welcomed 150 cyclists as part of the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, hosted by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust. Participants explored the city through curated activities at the Arboretum and the Boathouse, offering a scenic and cultural introduction to Guelph’s natural assets and vibrant community. |
| Chess fest Inc. | The Royal City Masters Chess Tournament brought together 350 players from across Canada and abroad for a five-day competition at the University of Guelph. The event highlighted Guelph as a destination for unique international sporting events. |
| Ontario Beekeepers Association | Guelph hosted 150 delegates from across the country for the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association’s three-day annual conference. The event focused on industry advancement, marketing strategies, and success stories, while showcasing the new Honey Bee Research Centre at the University of Guelph. The conference also featured a creative partnership with the Hive Arts Collective. |