The Tamar Valley Folk Festival has received a $20,000 grant from a Northern Tasmanian council to support its 35th annual event.
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George Town councillors unanimously voted to sponsor the three-day show at their last meeting on June 25.
The funds will cover almost half of the festival's budgeted cost of $44,500 when it gets underway in January 2025.
Councillor Heather Barwick said the streets of George Town came alive during this time.
"This will be their 35th year, which to me, is going to be a very special year," she said.
"I just hope that we can get this through this year to see what beautiful things come through."
Cr Barwick hoped the event would help the town become the festival capital of Tasmania in due time. Deputy mayor Greg Dawson echoed a similar sentiment.
"It just builds on our culture of what we get up to here in George Town," he said.
"Let's hope that over the next year we see this festival kick on and become something even better than what it's been in the past."
The grant is a significant increase over this year's event, which received $9300 of funding plus in-kind support through free hire of facilities.
Artist payments will take up the largest portion of the festival's expenditure, at $30,000. The remaining funds will go to marketing, sound, hall hire, insurance, a free concert and accommodation costs.
Playing host to 25 events, 30 acts and up to 100 artists, organisers expect an attendance of about 1500 people.
Councillor Jason Orr said that figure was "selling themselves short".
"Considering we had about 900 on Friday night at a council-run event, I think they could quadruple that number of people," he said.
"So with the help of this extra funding they've asked for, I'm hoping they can increase that."
Mayor Greg Kieser supported the festival "wholeheartedly" but encouraged the Tamar Valley Folk Club to continue to innovate.
"Stretch the boundaries, grow your audience, let's see what we can do," he said.
"It's all about making sure that we're the most marketable destination and we can deliver the best quality events for our various constituents."
Aaron Smith
Regional council reporter and videographer at The Examiner. Contact me at aaron.smith@austcommunitymedia.com.au for enquiries or send me a message on social media.
Regional council reporter and videographer at The Examiner. Contact me at aaron.smith@austcommunitymedia.com.au for enquiries or send me a message on social media.
