Revelstoke's premier arts event is among 17 local festivals in the Columbia River basin receiving thousands of dollars in regional funding to support summer celebrations.
Through its Basin Festival Grants program, the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) has allocated $15,000 for Arts Revelstoke's LUNA Fest, a three-day festival every September that brings the city to life at night in a display of illuminated exhibits and performances.
With LUNA Fest budgeted for $250,000 this year, Arts Revelstoke executive director Robyn Goldsmith told Black Press Media CBT's funding is particularly helpful in filling in a hole that was left earlier this year when the provincial budget eliminated the B.C. Fairs, Festivals and Events Fund the festival previously relied on.
Total expenditures for LUNA Fest, which has run since 2017, include staffing costs and fees for artists, tech, venue rentals, signage and security, Goldsmith shared by email. This CBT funding will go toward the event's general grant revenue stream.
鈥淟una gives residents a chance to come together and celebrate creativity and imagination," she told CBT. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a cornerstone of our community calendar and a source of pride for residents. We offer a free, outdoor festival鈥攕o we rely heavily on grants, sponsorships and public donations. Artist fees have risen in recent years, and this support helps ensure we can continue offering fair compensation while delivering an outstanding experience.鈥�
CBT's nearly $220,000 in total festival funding this year specifically finances events with a "measurable cultural, community and economic impact" that are run by non-profits, local governments or First Nations, and that provide publicly-accessible music, dance, theatre or fine arts.
The Basin Festival Grants program, delivered to Arts Revelstoke through the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council, is more generally important in supporting the locally driven outdoor events across the region that communities look forward to every summer, according to Christine Nichol, CBT's delivery of benefits manager.
鈥淎long with showcasing our rich and diverse arts and culture scene, these events are critical contributors to our local economies," she said in a release. "By supporting the work of presenters, artists, non-profits and volunteers, we help strengthen the resilience and vibrancy of our communities.鈥�
LUNA Fest returns to Revelstoke Sept. 19 to 21, with more information available at .
