Festival Grant Program

The Festival Grant supports one- to three-day festivals that build community engagement through artistic expression, music, craft, and cultural traditions. Awards range from $500 to $3,000 so an organization can strengthen its festival programming while building community engagement and cultural awareness.

The spring cycle opens for applications in January 2026 for festivals from March 1 to August 30, 2026. The fall cycle opens in May 2026 for festivals from September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027.

Eligibility

• Applicants may be a Guilford County nonprofit 501(c)(3), LLC, B Corp, or C Corp. Priority goes to arts 501(c)(3) nonprofits that support and promote the arts.
• Applicants must demonstrate experience planning and executing a one- to three-day festival, with a consistent track record of three consecutive years.
• Festivals must take place in Guilford County and benefit residents, encourage visitors, and enhance local artistic culture. Guilford County includes Gibsonville, High Point, Jamestown, Oak Ridge, Pleasant Garden, Sedalia, Stokesdale, Summerfield, Whitsett, and Greensboro.
• The program considers one funding request from the same organization in a 12-month cycle.

Excluded from funding: fundraising events, sporting or athletic events, churches and religious organizations, government agencies, businesses or private clubs that exclude minors, residential projects, political events, trade shows, conferences, workshops, training, scholarships, prizes, cash awards, endowments, deficit or debt reduction, lobbying, construction or renovation, equipment or real property purchases, hospitality, and re-granting.

Award Amount

Awards range from $500 to $3,000 and may not exceed 50% of total projected expenses. Proposed uses include marketing the festival, hiring artists, and securing permits and fees for a safe festival. Funds are distributed in one installment when the contract is executed.

Evaluation

Applications are scored up to 100 points. Scores of 60 or below do not qualify.

• Organization and festival information — 10 points
• Audience fit and community support — 15 points
• Festival objective — 15 points
• Programming operations and logistics — 10 points
• Viability of execution — 15 points
• Marketing power — 15 points
• Funding sources and financial information — 10 points
• Sustainability of the event — 10 points

Grantees must secure permits, provide updates, submit a final report within 30 days of the festival, and display The ACGG logo on event materials. Festival Grantee Marketing Packet

Partners: High Point Arts Council and the NC Association of Festivals.

The Festival Grant is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and Guilford County.

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