Vaughan Celebrates program receives provincial award

Vaughan Weekly
March 27, 2014
By Angela Gismondi

Vaughan has some of the best festivals in the province.

The City of Vaughan has been recognized by Festival and Events Ontario (FEO) in the category of 2014 Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario for the Concerts in the Park series and Winterfest, both part of the City’s Vaughan Celebrates program.

The awards were given out on March 1 during FEO’s annual conference Excite & Energize in Richmond Hill.

At a committee meeting Tuesday, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and members of council presented the recreation and culture department staff with the award for their achievement in making the festival so successful.

“We take a great deal of pride in Vaughan in being able to offer cultural experiences that strengthen and enrich our community life,” said Bevilacqua, adding for 25 years WinterFest has brought the community together to celebrate the winter season and this year the Concerts in the Park series will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

“Our goal is to provide the best events that allow our residents to express their community spirit and showcase our pride as a vibrant, multicultural City. These annual events serve to not only celebrate our City and promote Vaughan as a desirable tourist destination, but also to enhance our sense of community by bringing people together.”

On behalf of council, the mayor congratulated the community services commission, the recreation and culture department and the events team and thanked them for their hard work.

“A considerable amount of time and effort goes into producing these wonderful events for our community,” said Bevilacqua. “I would like to express my gratitude to the people involved for their hard work and commitment to the success of our City.”

The City of Vaughan held its 25th anniversary WinterFest Feb. 9 at the Vellore Village Community Centre, and attracted more than 5,000 residents and visitors. Concerts in the Park is an annual series of free outdoor summer concerts held in various parks in each ward across Vaughan from June to August. The concerts feature professional talent including tribute performers and local artists.

FEO is a non-profit tourism association devoted to the growth of the festivals and events industry in Ontario. The Top 100 recipients of the FEO awards represent festivals and events that excel within the industry. Included in the Top 100 are the Festivals & Events of Distinction, a select group which represent some of the most well-known and respected celebrations in the province; celebrations which draw both an international and domestic audience.

Submissions from FEO members were received for consideration in the fall of 2013 and were judged by an independent panel of judges. Festivals and events of all kinds from every corner of Ontario were represented in the submissions - from community festivals to internationally recognized events.