Merritt’s two largest festivals are set to return next summer, and both have been granted a significant amount of government funding to help them get back on their feet.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport announced on Monday a close to $30-million project benefiting almost 700 events across British Columbia, including Merritt’s Bass Coast Festival and Rockin’ River Fest.
“We’re thrilled that people can once again safely enjoy their local fairs, festivals and events with their families and friends,” said Minister Melanie Mark. “We heard overwhelmingly from event organizers that grants, not loans, were key to keeping their doors open to the public and workers employed. Our government answered their call to action, as we know the major impact these community gatherings have on our mental health and local businesses around them.”
Both festivals received the max grant of $250,000.
Bass Coast, the winner of ‘Best Boutique Festival in North America’ in 2019 from DJMag, is set to make it’s return after a two-year hiatus from July 8-11, 2022.
Festival organizers have also created a GoFundMe page to help the City of Merritt and its citizens recover from the floods, having raised over $20,000 in three weeks, contributing $5,000 to the cause themselves and already surpassing their original goal.
The page can be found here.
A few weeks later, Rockin’ River is set to return from its own two-year hiatus from July 28-31, 2022.
Lineups are yet to be announced.