Happy Giving Tuesday Ottawa! As we reflect on another extremely vibrant year in Ottawa’s festival scene, we ask ourselves, “how do we as community members reciprocate all the joy that festivals provide for us throughout the year” We broke it down to four key pillars: Attend, Volunteer, Donate, and Share. If you have a few moments, we would love to share some strategies that we as a community can implement to ensure that Ottawa’s festivals are well supported and continue to flourish.
Attend
There are an infinite number of reasons to attend festivals.
At the very core of festival success is attendance from an audience who cares most importantly about strengthening social cohesion within our community. In a world that is becoming increasingly divided and individualistic, it is important to be able to unite, share experiences, and ultimately, find a sense of belonging within our community.
Benefits of Attending Festivals
An opportunity to immerse yourself in new experiences.
Supports Local Businesses & the economy.
Spreading community spirit!
Various cultural experiences
Be sure to follow us on our socials @ottawafestivals and see our event calendar to see what festivals are happening now!
Volunteering is a MAJOR love language to festival organizers, artists, and the community. While attending festivals is a MUST, one can always take it a step further and get involved with the festival organization and execution process. Luckily, we at Ottawa Festivals have a platform that folks can use to find festival volunteer opportunities across the city!
Sign up for our Volunteer Connect platform & sign up for our newsletters to ensure you won’t miss out on the chance to give back to your community while enjoying fantastic benefits from the city's best festivals and events!
Donating funds is one of the most generous things a person can do to support arts and culture. Festivals in our city often work in collaboration with local charities or fundraisers that graciously accept donations as well. Either way, donations are such a generous way to give back to the community. See the “Festival Donation” list below!
The final way to show love to local festivals is through sharing your experience on social media. The tools that we all have in our pockets are powerful ones. By documenting and sharing your experience to your socials, you help to promote and create a digital space where festivals can live long after they’re over.
TIPS
Follow event accounts on social platforms (ex. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok)
Use hashtags in your posts (ex. #ottawabluesfest)
Tag/ mention festivals in your posts/ stories (ex. @ottawadragonboatfestival)
In summary, there are so many great ways to show your support to your favourite festivals no matter the time of year. The community cohesion that is created through festival attendance, the physical support of volunteers, the financial assistance through donations, and spreading awareness about your favourite events on socials are all incredibly important and deeply appreciated by Ottawa’s festival community.
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