6 York Region events, including 3 from Richmond Hill, in Ontario's top 100

Yorkregion.com
March 7, 2016
By Teresa Latchford

Six York Region events made the 2016 Top 100 Festivals and Events Ontario list.

Richmond Hill has three events on the list, with its Canada Day Celebration, Ribfest and Tastes of the Hill recognized.

Vaughan’s Canada Day Celebration, Newmarket’s Jazz+ Festival and Aurora’s Haunted Forest also made the list.

“Our government recognizes festivals and events as important economic drivers and we’re proud to support their efforts to create and grow our economy and celebrate our diverse and vibrant cultural identity,” Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Coteau said, congratulating this year’s recipients.

It is estimated the festivals and events industry in Ontario generates more than $2.3 billion annually and creates and sustains 50,000 full-year-equivalent jobs.

Submissions from FEO members were received for consideration in 2015 and an independent panel of judges selected the events on the list.

Festivals and events of all kinds from every corner of the province were represented in the applications.

The awards were given out during the FEO’s annual conference, Dare 2B Different, held in Markham last week.