CLEVELAND, Miss. — The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MS Delta NHA) is offering $3,000 reimbursement grant awards this spring to organizations planning a community festival or event that stimulates tourism in the Mississippi Delta region’s 18 counties. The $3,000 award requires at least a 2:1 nonfederal cash or in-kind match commitment.
Organizations applying for the grant also must demonstrate how their community festival or event connects with one or more of the MS Delta NHA’s cultural heritage themes. The five themes are:
1. The Mississippi River and the Land it Embraces
2. The Culture of the Blues and the Birth of an American Sound
3. Moving Towards Freedom: The Struggle for Rights
4. Growing More than Cotton: The Delta as a Wellspring of Creativity
5. The Delta Divide: Creating the Delta’s Diverse Communities
“So many Mississippi Delta communities have festivals and events that attract visitors from throughout our state, nation, and world,” said Dr. Rolando Herts, Executive Director of the MS Delta NHA. “The National Heritage Area is committed to supporting community-based tourism activities like festivals and events that illuminate the rich cultural heritage of our region.”
Applications are available online and open now through January 8, 2024. In order to be eligible for this program, a community festival/event and all related grant activities must take place between February 1, 2024 and April 30, 2024. All grant funded festival/event activities must be free and open to the public.
To learn more about the Festival/Event Grant Program, visit the MS Delta NHA website at https://www.msdeltaheritage.com/festival-grants.
